Black bean tostadas get a nutritious and colorful upgrade with ancho roasted butternut squash in this easy vegetarian dinner recipe.
It’s the last Recipe Redux of the year and we’re playing a game. Pick up a cookbook and make a recipe from page 54 or 154. Why 54? This is the 54th month of The Recipe Redux created by RD superstars Regan Miller Jones, Deanna Segrave-Daly and Serena Ball. I love the monthly challenge. This year has been incredibly busy for me – in a great way. As a result, sometimes, the blog falls by the wayside. The Recipe Redux keeps me coming back and challenges me to flex my creative culinary muscles and connect with my healthy food blogging friends at least once a month.
[Tweet “Make these Black Bean Tostadas w/ Chile Roasted Butternut Squash for an easy #vegetarian dinner!”]
This month’s challenge is particularly fun for me. I grew up reading cookbooks like novels. Still today, I love to curl up with a new cookbook and read it cover to cover. While it’s not the best idea to do this at bedtime (hello hunger!), I still love it. Though I love cookbooks, I haven’t purchased many if any this year. I got a few as gifts but when I looked through I wasn’t excited about what was on pages 54 and 154.
To complete the task, I went to my wall of books to reacquaint myself with the cookbooks I hadn’t opened in a while. Everyday Food: Great Food Fast, a Martha Stewart publication, caught my eye.
Y’all know I like tacos. I’ll find any excuse to eat them. Furthermore, I love Mexican flavors. I found this Grilled Vegetable Tostada recipe and immediately began thinking of ways to make it my own.
While this recipe looks lovely, it’s made for summertime. I wasn’t going to grill any vegetables. Although it’s (oddly) over 70 degrees outside, it’s still December in Atlanta. The grill is in hibernation. To be honest, I don’t like dealing with coals, lighter fluid and outside grills. And indoor grills are good for the grill marks but not worth the work required to clean the pan afterwards.
All of that to say… I decided to roast some vegetables instead. Butternut squash seemed like a good fit because it’s winter and the squash would add sweetness, fiber and good nutrition to the dish. Plus, I could get fresh butternut squash already peeled and cut from Trader Joe’s. Easy peasy.
For the tostadas – you can buy them pre-made or bake a few soft corn tortillas until they are crispy. If you look closely at the tostadas in the back of the picture, you’ll notice that I added greens. This is not required but it’s a great addition – adding extra nutrition and color to the tostadas. Kale, spinach and chard all work but feel free to use any greens you have on hand.
So, I kinda changed everything about the Grilled Vegetable Tostada recipe but it was my inspiration for these black bean tostadas. This was my first time combining winter squash with black beans. The taste is very similar to the classic sweet potato and black bean combination. This one was so easy though that I will be putting it in regular rotation.
Here’s the recipe but before you head out, be sure to click the little blue icon below to see the other recipes in this month’s The Recipe Redux link up.
Black Bean Tostadas with Chile Roasted Butternut Squash
Ingredients
- 2 cups cubed butternut squash
- ¼ cup thinly sliced red onion
- 1 tablespoon olive, canola, or avocado oil
- 1 tablespoon ancho chile powder
- coarse salt to taste
- 1 cup cooked black beans (or canned, heated)
- 1 cup shredded greens (kale, chard, or spinach)
- 2 tablespoons crumbled cotija cheese
- 1 tablespoon thinly sliced scallions
- 4 tostadas
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Spread the squash and onions onto a baking sheet in a single layer. Drizzle with the oil and sprinkle evenly with the chile powder and salt. Bake about 30 minutes, turning once.
- Build the tostadas. Add a single layer of black beans, greens and roasted butternut squash to each tostada. Top with cotija cheese and scallions.
Nutrition
Min
Ooh Ooh ! I actually have that cookbook!! When I first started my cooking journey, I thought I had to follow recipes to the T or else I’m going to end up with something unedible haha. Now I hardly ever follow it exactly. I’m loving the addition of butternut squash with ancho chile powder!! Yum!!
Marisa
I’m sure the ancho chiles are right up your alley, Min. And how funny that you have this cookbook. I haven’t opened it in YEARS but I gonna try some of the other recipes soon… or at least check them out for inspiration.
Diane
Hi Marissa! I have 20 pounds of sweet potatoes in my pantry. Your recipe will be enjoyed at my house very soon, insert sweet potato.
Marisa
That’s usually my sweet potato story at this time of year but I’m a little low on sweet potatoes for some reason. In any case they will be perfect in this tostada recipe!
dixya | food, pleasure, and health
love tostatas or Mexican flavors in general..i make tostatas by broiling corn or flour tortillas in the oven for little bit.
Marisa
I haven’t tried broiling corn tortillas in the oven. Great idea!
Sonali- The Foodie Physician
These look AMAZING and I love how you “kinda changed everything about” them, lol!
Marisa
“Kinda” – LOL. Thanks, Sonali!
Dietitian Jess
Great addition of greens- and I love the peeled and cut butternut squash- huge time saver!!
Marisa
Yes. I’m all about fresh and natural but I will take a short cut to get there. Can’t think of any reason (except maybe cost and not living near TJs) to go through the sometimes scary process of peeling and cubing butternut squash.
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Tostadas always make such a fantastic meal!
Serena
Thanks for the compliment (esp. since I’m feeling frazzled now!) These pics are gorgeous. Love the colors and the flavors! Love your thoughts about reacquainting yourself with your cookbooks…that’s why I loved this challenge too!
Marisa
Y’all do an amazing job at keeping The Recipe Redux alive and well. I’m thankful for it! And thanks for the compliment. These are a few of my favorite flavors for sure! Hope you get some downtime to de-frazzle over the next couple weeks!
Jessica @ Nutritioulicious
I miss the Everyday Food magazine – was one of my faves! This looks like my kind of recipe – i’ve never made tostadas but i love quesadillas with winter squash and black beans, so i know i would love this! Happy holidays Marisa!
EA-The Spicy RD
Great recipe Marisa-I love Mexican food too-and I’m so happy to hear it’s been a “good” busy year for you! Oh, and with temps in the 70’s, maybe you should make some ice cream 🙂
Deanna
We love having you in ReDux and keeping you in our blogosphere 🙂 Now we need a motivation group for Periscope, right? LOL. This recipe is totally getting made after the holiday madness has subsided!
Ally @OmNomAlly
Butternut squash (or pumpkin as we call it here in Australia) is one of my favourite ingredients, I relish every-time I find a new recipe to utilise it 🙂 Thanks for sharing this delicious tostada recipe, great Redux!
Carla @ Foodie Digital
Quick and delicious weeknight meal! Added some vegan slaw for extra crunch. Buying pre-peeled and cubed butternut is such a smart kitchen hack. Thanks Marisa!