Vegetable Tostadas with Jalapeño-Avocado Sauce
Tostada means “toasted” in Spanish, and a toasted tortilla, in this case, gluten-free corn tortilla, serves as the base for a variety of roasted vegetables. Typically, tostadas are deep-fried, but we tested several healthier alternatives (pan-frying, air frying, and baking) and landed on the baked tostada because everything gets thrown in the oven simultaneously, which means timing this recipe is easy. It also turns out super crispy with the right amount of oil and timing. The sauce is a delicious addition, but if you are in a pinch, then mash the avocado with some salt and lime and use it as a topper.
Servings: Four
INGREDIENTS
½ small butternut squash, peeled, deseeded and cut into ¼-inch dice
1 red bell pepper, ¼-inch dice
1 medium zucchini, ¼-inch dice
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon chili powder
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
8 10-inch corn tortillas
avocado spray
(optional) crumbled queso fresco, cilantro
JALAPEÑO-AVOCADO SAUCE
½ ripe avocado
2 jalapeños deseeded and chopped
1 clove of garlic, smashed
¼ lime, squeezed for juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ teaspoon salt
PREPARATION
1 Preheat oven to 400°F.
2 Place cut butternut squash, red bell pepper, and zucchini in a large bowl. Pour in olive oil, ground cumin, salt, chili powder, and black pepper. Mix well.
3 Place the seasoned vegetables on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for about 20 minutes or until a knife easily pierces through the butternut squash.
4 Place avocado, jalapeños, garlic, olive oil, lime juice, and salt into a mini chopper and pulse until no chunks remain.
5 On a baking sheet lined with a grate, place 6 tortillas and lightly spray with avocado oil. Flip and spray the other side. Bake in a 400° oven for 8-10 minutes until crisp and toasty. (You can add cheese or black beans at 8 minutes for extra protein.)
6 To plate take a toasted tortilla (tostada), top with 2 tablespoons of the roasted vegetable mixture, dollop with the jalapeño-avocado sauce and sprinkle with cheese.
NOTES
To add black beans or cheese, top the tortillas at about 8 minutes in the oven.
Also lightly coat the tortillas. If there is too much oil, they won’t toast up. You can also toast the tortillas in a frying pan or in an air fryer.
If you don’t have time to make the sauce, skip it and top with some mashed avocado, lime juice, and salt.