Everyone loves a tostada, so this recipe is a crowd pleaser! Makes a particularly great lunch or dinner for a large group where guests can choose ingredients to suit their tastes. Just be sure to double up on ingredients.  

• 3 teaspoons oil or ¼ cup vegetable broth or water
•   ½ cup onion, finely diced
•   1 clove garlic, finely minced
• 1 jalapeño, seeded, finely diced
•  1 can black beans (15 oz) or fresh if you have them
•   8 corn tortillas
•   Oil or cooking spray 
• Salt 

Toppings

Use any or all of the following.

• 2 tomatoes, diced
•   ½ red onion, finely diced
• 2 jalapeño peppers, seeded and finely diced or pickled jalapeños
• 2 avocados, peeled and sliced or made into guacamole (page 258)
•   Pico de Gallo (page 258) 
•   Corn salsa (page 257) 
•   Ranchero salsa (page 255) 
•   Lettuce or cabbage, shredded 
•   Lime wedges
•   Non-dairy cheese

Heat oil or broth in a small skillet over medium- low heat. Add onions and cook until they begin to brown. Add garlic and jalapeño. Cook for another minute. Turn up the heat a little and add half of the black beans with their juices. Mash the beans while stirring until the mixture begins to bubble around the edges. Add remaining beans and continue to mash and stir. Turn off the heat when the bean mixture is hot all the way through; it will thicken as it cools. Heat a large skillet or a griddle to medium-high. Spray corn tortillas with cooking spray or brush with oil and griddle until lightly brown on both sides. Spread the bean mixture on each tortilla and then let each person create a favorite combination of toppings.

  Hint:

  You can also cook tortillas in a 425°F (220°C) oven on a baking sheet until crispy. Lightly spray both sides with canola oil or cooking spray and place on baking sheet. Place in oven and cook for 5 minutes. Flip each tortilla and cook for 5 minutes more until crispy and golden in color.