Partnering with some of my favorite brands for the “Lunches with Elissa” series has been so much fun! We’ve been able to get creative in the kitchen and showcase products that are organic, gluten-free, dairy-free, and sugar-free. For the October luncheon, guests were treated to these White Bean Tostadas made with Siete Foods, created by my chef, Amber. Tostada means “toasted” in spanish and we toasted these tortillas, made with coconut and cassava flour, in olive oil until they turned crisp and golden brown, then topped with a fresh and creamy white bean spread (make the beans at home, I promise it will turn out so much better). Top with your favorite fresh vegetables and you have a beautiful vegan lunch or dinner.
White Bean Tostadas
Serves 4
Ingredients:
White bean & herb spread (this will make extra):
1 pound cannelini or navy beans
1 bay leaf
pinch sea salt
2-3 garlic cloves
1/3 cup shallot, finely diced
3 T. fresh basil, chopped
1 T. fresh dill, chopped
1/4 cup organic extra virgin olive oil
zest and juice of 1 lemon
1 tsp. sea salt
Tostada:
4 Siete Foods Cassava and Coconut Flour Tortillas
Olive oil or high heat, refined coconut oil (for crisping tortillas)
Fresh veggies for topping: Raw beets, cucumber, shaved raw asparagus, sugar snap peas
Fresh herbs for topping: option of chives, fresh dill, chopped basil, microgreens
Directions:
To make the bean dip, you will get much better flavor by soaking and cooking your beans at home as opposed to buying cooked, canned beans. Start by soaking your beans overnight, place them in a stock pot and cover with 3-4 inches of water and allow them to sit at room temp for 8-10 hours. When ready to cook, drain soaked beans and transfer them back to your stock pot. Cover by 3 inches of water and add the garlic, bay leaf and pinch of sea salt. Bring to a boil, remove the foam that rises to the surface and allow beans to continue at a low rolling boil for the first 15-20 minutes. Then reduce the heat, cover with a lid and allow beans to simmer until fork tender. This will take between an hour to and hour and a half at a simmer.
Drain the cooked beans, discard bay leaf and carefully transfer to your food processor (could also use a high speed/high power blender if you have one). Add the raw chopped shallot, the fresh basil and dill, olive oil, sea salt, and lemon/lemon zest. Puree until smooth and adjust seasoning for taste. Set aside – there will be extra spread left over after you make your tortillas, this is great for dipping veggies in through out the week!
Now, it’s on to toasting your tortillas and preparing the tostadas. In a saute pan, heat 1 1/2 inches of olive oil or refined coconut oil over medium heat. When oil is hot, add the tortillas and crisp on both sides, this will take about a minute on each side (when they are slightly golden and bubble flip). Set on a paper towel lined pan to absorb oil and cool off. (Alternatively, you could brush with olive oil and toast in a 350 degree oven until golden brown.)
Spread each tortilla with the bean dip, top with fresh herbs and fresh veggies of your choice. Finish with a drizzle of olive oil and sprinkle of sea salt and pepper.
