Meet tostaladas: A vegetarian enchilada-tostada recipe

Eat more plants. We know it is good for our bodies, and we know it is good for the planet. So in honor of Earth Day on April 22, let’s just do it.

The key is to have a plant-based meal that is as hearty and satisfying as a dinner with an animal protein.

This recipe is a fusion of enchiladas and tostadas. It is as full of robust flavor as it is of colorful, nutritious vegetables. You can add in other vegetables — try chopped asparagus or zucchini, roast diced sweet potato, or substitute white beans for black.

You are not alone if you feel a meal must have some animal protein. And here’s the great news: you can have your plants and chicken, too. Add amount half the amount of chicken you might normally serve, chopped up into the vegetable mixture. It helps you move toward a plant-based diet with all its benefits — without giving up entirely on animal protein.

Don’t be put off by the long ingredients list — dinner comes together very quickly.

Tostaladas

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 cup diced red onion (about 1 medium onion)

½ teaspoon ground cumin

½ teaspoon chili powder

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon ground chipotle powder

2 plum tomatoes, diced

1 red bell pepper, diced

1 cup frozen corn

½ cup shredded carrot

1 15-ounce low sodium black beans, drained and rinsed

1 tablespoon lime juice

½ cup cilantro, chopped

8 corn tortillas

¼ cup canned enchilada sauce

1 ½ cups shredded Mexican cheese mix or Cheddar

½ an avocado, thinly sliced

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray two sheet pans with cooking spray.

2. Lay 4 tortillas out on each sheet pan and brush the tops with the enchilada sauce. Bake 3 minutes, remove from the oven and sprinkle 4 of the tortillas with 1 cup of the cheese.

3. Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium high. Add the onion, cumin, chili powder, salt and chipotle powder and cook, stirring often, 3 minutes. Add the tomato, bell pepper and corn, and cook another 6-8 minutes, until the tomatoes are somewhat broken down. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the carrot, black beans, lime juice and cilantro.

4. Spoon all but 1 cup of the mixture over the tortillas topped with cheese. Top with the remaining tortillas and sprinkle with the remaining ½ cup of cheese. Scatter the remaining mixture aver and around the tostaladas. Bake 5 minutes to melt the cheese and heat the filling.

5. Remove from the oven and top with sliced avocado and additional cilantro leaves if desired.

Makes 4 servings