Veggie Tostadas

This main dish has it all - heart-healthy fats from the avocado, protein from the beans, loads of fresh veggies, and tons of flavor.

Place 2, 10-inch flour tortillas (the recipe called for regular fat-free ones, but use whatever kind you like - there's an abundance of whole wheat or flax tortillas on the market from organic producers now...) on a baking sheet. Broil for one minute on each side.

In a saucepan, heat a 16-oz can refried beans (I like the fat-free refried pinto beans from Whole Foods' 365 brand) over medium heat in a saucepan until warm. The recipe said to add 2 tablespoons enchilada sauce to the beans. A perusal of the ingredient list didn't reveal anything that looked suspicious except sugar, which, may be - although is not necessarily - processed with bone char. Since I couldn't get confirmation one way or another, I can't guarantee that it's vegan, but since 2 tablespoons is not much, skip it all together if you like. The 505 company makes an organic version: http://www.505chile.com/wayoflife/

Now top each tortilla with: 1/2 the bean mixture, 1 cup gourmet salad greens, 1/2 cup diced plum tomato, 2 tablespoons chopped green onions, 1 tablespoon chopped ripe (black) olives and a teaspoon and a half chopped bottled jalapeno peppers.

Cut an avocado in half and peel. Cut each half into six wedges. Lay six wedges on top of each tortilla evenly.

Half a tostada is 320 calories.

Cost:
tortillas $1.69
refried beans $1.19
enchilada sauce $3.39
gourmet greens $4.99
plum tomato $2.59
black olives $2.69
avocado $2.50
bottled jalapeno $0.99