Dish

Tostadas

It’s easy to feed a crowd with these baked tostadas and you
can vary the flavours by adding roasted vegetables on top of
the beans.

Black Beans, see recipe below

8 x 10cm corn tortillas

1½ cups grated aged

cheddar cheese

Topping suggestions

sour cream, sliced avocado,

fresh red chilli, pickled jalapeño

chillis, thinly sliced cos lettuce,

fresh coriander

Preheat the oven to 200°C fan bake.

Place the tortillas on a flat-lined baking tray and top each one
with black beans, leaving a 1cm border.

Sprinkle with the cheese then bake for 8–10 minutes until the
cheese is melted and golden.

To serve: Garnish each tostada with your favourite combination
of toppings. Serve immediately. Makes 8

Black Beans

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 large onion, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 teaspoon each ground cumin

and coriander

1 teaspoon dried oregano

2 teaspoons finely

chopped chipotle peppers

in adobo sauce

½ cup chopped tomatoes

(I use tinned)

400-gram tin black beans

¼ cup chopped coriander

sea salt

Heat the oil in a sauté pan and add the onion and garlic with a
good pinch of salt. Cover and cook until the onion is very tender.
Add the cumin, coriander, oregano and chipotle peppers and cook
for 1 minute.

Drain the beans into a sieve set over a bowl. Add the beans and
½ cup of liquid from the tin, along with the tomatoes.

Cover and simmer for 10 minutes.

Uncover and cook until reduced and thick, about 3–5 minutes.
Stir through the coriander. Makes about 1½ cups 

Tequila and Lime Pickled Pineapple and Fennel

I can see this pickle turning up on my table throughout the

summer months to accompany barbecues, burgers and as a

general condiment.

Pickle

1 cup white vinegar

3 tablespoons caster sugar

2 teaspoons sea salt

3 tablespoons lime juice

3 tablespoons tequila

1 teaspoon fennel seeds

To assemble

½ ripe pineapple, peeled, cored

and sliced 1cm half moons

1 small fennel bulb, thinly sliced

1 long green chilli, thinly sliced

Pickle: Place all the ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to

the boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar and salt. Set aside to cool

for 15 minutes.

Place the pineapple, fennel and chilli in a large bowl and pour over

the pickle mixture. Turn to coat everything well.

Set aside for at least 2 hours, gently moving it around in the

pickle liquid. Cover and refrigerate for up to 5 days.

It will become spicier the longer it is kept. Serves 6–8

COOK’S NOTE

I added extra

sliced fresh chilli

to the pickle just

before serving.

TEQUILA AND LIME

PICKLED PINEAPPLE

AND FENNEL

61 DISH