Roasted Sweet Potato and Black Bean Tostadas with Avocado Lime Crema

Hello, friends! Oh my gosh, it is GORGEOUS outside today! My windows are open and letting the sun in...the wind is blowing and it's warm, but not too warm. It's the perfect day for a picnic or a bike ride or something lovely, spent with pleasant people. (Yet, here I am, behind my computer, blogging. Eh...such is life).

I'm late posting this recipe--I made it a few weeks ago and haven't had time to write it out or edit the photos. I reached a point today of deciding that it doesn't have to be *perfect* in order for me to share, so I'm going to share it anyway!

So you remember the love affair I began with sweet potatoes, starting with this recipe back in September 2013? It was shortly after I got sick and was making tons of adjustments to my eating habits and overall routine. Well, the affair continues; largely because the humble sweet potato is packed full of good-for-you nutrients, not to mention great flavor!

Today's recipe incorporates some chili-spiced, roasted sweet potatoes, hearty black beans, and a cool, refreshing avocado crema, to be enjoyed on top of a crunchy tostada shell. I love food that tastes good and is good for you, and I love even more when I already have everything in the house that I'll need for the recipe, which I adapted from here.

Ingredients:

For the Roasted Sweet Potatoes:

• 1 large sweet potato, peeled and diced into ½ inch cubes
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon cumin

For the Avocado Lime Crema:

• 1 ripe avocado
• 1/4 cup unflavored soy or almond milk (I used almond milk)
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

For the Refried Black Beans:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 onion, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1-14 oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

For the Tostadas

• 6 corn tortillas
• 2 tsp. olive oil
• few dashes salt

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375. (The original recipe calls for 400, but my oven bakes pretty hot, so adjust as needed). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil; set aside. Toss sweet potatoes with olive oil, chili powder, garlic, cumin, and salt to coat. Arrange in an even layer on baking sheet. Bake until tender and lightly crispy on the outsides, about 25 minutes, tossing halfway through.

 

While sweet potatoes roast, place all ingredients for the avocado crema in a blender or food processor, and blend until smooth and creamy, stopping to scrape down sides of bowl or pitcher as needed.

 

To make the beans, heat oil in medium skillet over medium heat. Add onion and sauté until soft, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and sauté 1 minute more. Add beans, lime juice, cumin, salt and pepper. Sauté 2 minutes more. Remove from heat.

 

Mash beans lightly with a potato masher. Add a couple of tablespoons of water if the mixture becomes too dry, and mix well. (Mine were still a little dry, as you can see from the photos, so I should have added a bit more water).

 For the tostadas, brush both sides of tortillas lightly with olive oil and place on baking sheet. Sprinkle lightly with salt. When your sweet potatoes have about 10 minutes of cook time left, place baking sheet into oven. Cook until tortillas are slightly darkened and crispy, about 10 minutes; do not overbake or they will burn!

Transfer tortillas to plates and spread each with refried black beans. Top with sweet potatoes and crema.

Nutrition Facts-- Servings: 6 • Size: 1 topped tostada • Calories: 243 • Fat: 16.1 g • Cholesterol: 0 mg • Carbs: 24.3 g • Fiber: 5.9 g  • Protein: 3.6 g • Sugars: 3.7 g