Tostada Tuesday

There is no question that being a lover of food has ignited a plethora of scrum-di-li-um-cious foodie bloggers that want to share their passion for good eats. I would definitely not consider myself a "food blogger", but have taken note that it has been difficult to find recipes for exactly what I am craving, up until now. Thanks to Gojee, perhaps the next best thing in recipe scavenging (aka Pandora for foodies), combines the best from food bloggers themselves in a website that makes it super simple and fun to choose what you want!

Yesterday, my sister and I were browsing through the mouth-watering photos of home-made treats, sweets and eats  when we stumbled upon Roasted Vegetable Tostadas, from the kitchen of Erin Alderson and her yummy blog Naturally Ella. It's normally taco Tuesday around here, but we decided to switch things up a bit.

What you'll need:
2 large cooking trays
1 mixing bowl
4 corn + wheat tortillas (Trader Joe's has the best)
1 bell pepper
1 onion, we used red
1 tomato
1 avocado
2 tspns olive oil 
1 can of black beans (we used re-fried)
1 lime
1 cup of shredded lettuce
Shredded pepper jack cheese
cilantro
tin foil (trust me, easy clean-up!)
ground cumin
cayenne pepper


Total prep time: 45 minutes 


To begin:

Preheat the oven to 425. (Side note: This recipe makes 4 tostadas) In a separate bowl, combine 1/2 cup chopped red onion, 1 chopped bell pepper, cubed tomato and mix with olive oil. Using one of the cooking sheets, cover in tin foil and spread out on flat in order to achieve proper roasting. Place in the oven for about 30 minutes. Continuously check at 10 minute increments to make sure no veggie goes burnt. 

Black Bean + Cilantro Spread: This was not apart of the Naturally Ella's original post because we went with re fried black beans. In a bowl combine chopped cilantro, lime juice and 1/2 can of beans. Mix together using a pinch of ground cumin and cayenne pepper. Set aside. 

On the second baking tray, place 4 tortillas and sprinkle with pepper jack cheese. Place in the oven a rack underneath the roasting vegetables. The cheese and tortillas will cook in about 15 minutes, pull out of the oven and let cool and top off with black bean + cilantro spread. Place in oven for a few more minutes until beans are warm, then add lettuce, sour cream, sliced avocado and salsa if you wish. We used an extra spicy chipotle sauce, which was amazing! 

From here on out, I know where I am going to be getting my recipes. Thanks Gojee & Naturally Ella! 

Spicy Salsa

Seriously, so simple!

Spending time at the Farmer's Market has really helped to re encourage my love for cooking, but more importantly my love for making salsa from scratch with juicy tomatoes, fresh cilantro and red onion. I learned a thing or two while I spent some time living and studying in Mexico during college. Whenever I make this recipe, I always find that it disappears in almost the same amount of time takes to make! 

Prep time: 10 minutes

What you'll need:

1 mixing bowl

2 large tomatoes

1 red onion

fresh cilantro

1 lemon

chipotle peppers*

SPICES:

ground cumin

salt

pepper

cayenne pepper*

Start off by cubing the tomatoes and add to mixing bowl. Cut the lemon in half and squeeze the juice in mixing bowl with tomatoes. Chop up cilantro (no more than 1/4 cup) and cut the onion into slices and then again into small cubed pieces. (I usually use 2-3 slices of red onion about 1/2 an inch thick, not too much but just enough!) Add cilantro and onion to mixing bowl. Mix together and add salt, pepper, ground cumin (~1tsp) and cayenne pepper for extra spicy. 

I like to add in chipotle chilies. Which are dried, smoked jalapenos canned in a spicy tomato sauce, which is sometimes called adobo sauce. They are available in your grocery store in the Latin section and so incredibly delicious! 

After you've mixed all the ingredients, you can enjoy immediately or put in the fridge for a chilled snack later! Serve & eat with chips, but also delicious with eggs, chicken and even with pork. 

Enjoy!

Balsalmic Bruchetta

When I cook, it is often because I have found an excessive amount of some thing in my fridge and feel the need to use it before it goes bad. This time, it was tomatoes. At first I thought about making pico de gallo salsa, but then opted for something a little different, but still easy to make and that guests could enjoy. Bruchetta is something bite-size and the perfect way to use the seven tomatoes I found in the fridge this time! 

Here's how:

Prep Time: 1 hour

What you'll need:
1 loaf of french bread 
5-6 tomatoes sliced/cubed (roma is best)
1/2 cup fresh basil 
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tbspn olive oil
2 tbspn balsalmic vinegar
1/2 lemon (you'll just need the juice)
1/2 cup cheese (I used Parmesan & mozzarella)
salt & pepper


To begin:
In a bowl, combine cubed tomatoes, olive oil, cheese, balsalmic vinegar, garlic and lemon juice. Mix well. Fresh basil is best to use because it's just so delicious! You will need to cut up the basil leaves and then add them in before refrigerating. Add dash of salt and pepper and let sit in the fridge for 45 minutes to let the flavors blend. 


While waiting, pre-heat the oven to broil. Slice up French bread, no thicker than 1 inch and spread out on pan. Scoop spoonfuls of bruchetta onto each slice of bread and place it in the oven for 8 minutes. 


Bruchetta can be served cold or warm, I choose to serve it warm because the cheese was melty and the bread was toasty--perfect for a rainy December night!


Enjoy!