Beef Tostadas

Ingredients:

• 1 pound of lean (93/7) ground beef
• 1 package of whole wheat tortillas, such as Mission Life Balance Tortillas
• 1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 small yellow onion, chopped
• 2 cans of black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 can of yellow corn, drained and rinsed
• 4 small roma tomatoes, chopped
• 1/4 cup of fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
• 4 oz. can of green chilies
• 1 Tablespoon of fresh lime juice using 1/2 of a lime
• 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons of ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon of garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon of ground cumin
• 1 medium avocado, sliced
• 1 bag of baby spinach, chopped in small pieces (or you can use shredded lettuce)
• 8 oz. bag of reduced-fat shredded mexican cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place the tortillas on a greased cookie sheet (if you are cooking for more than 2 you may need more than 1 cookie sheet). Once the oven is preheated, put the tortillas in the oven for about 5-7 minutes, flipping them half way through (they should get lightly brown and crispy - an air bubble may form in the middle but it will go down).

2. In a large non-stick skillet add the ground beef, chopped green bell pepper and onion. Cook until the beef is no longer pink and vegetables are translucent. Season the beef/vegetable mixture with 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 1/2 teaspoon of pepper, and cumin. Let it simmer on low heat.

3. In a small-medium sized bowl, add the full can of drained & rinsed corn, 1 cup of black beans (reserve the other half of the black beans), chopped tomatoes, chopped cilantro, and can of green chilies. Stir the ingredients together and season wtih 1 teaspoon of salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Set aside.

4. In a small bowl, add the remaining black beans and smash them with a potato masher or a fork until they are a smooth but sticky consistency.

5. Assemble the tostada by spreading the smashed black beans on the toasted tortilla and topping it off with the chopped spinach or shredded lettuce, beef mixture, corn/bean mixture, sliced avocado, and shredded cheese. Enjoy!!