Do you have a hard time giving yourself a pat on the back?
When you finish a task, say a drawing or building a chair or making a presentation at work, do you only see what you did wrong, not what you did right? My head is full of self-exploration with the Bible study I’ve been taking part in. It’s not too hard for me to find things I enjoy or narrow down aspects of my personality, but it is hard for me to admit I’m good at something.
I dare not call myself an artist because what if no one appreciates my art? I dare not call myself a writer because it’s not like I’ve written anything that important. I dare not call myself a photographer because sometimes the pictures just don’t turn out right. Maybe I’m just afraid of being one of those people who toots my own horn, but can’t I even admit to myself that I’m good at something?
All that being said, I want to tell you these are some of the most uninteresting photos I feel like I’ve ever taken. These roasted vegetable tostadas are so, so good, but I don’t feel like the photos express that. There were undoubtedly hungry children at the table complaining about vegetables again as I tried to be creative after a long day of saying “Stop touching me!!” To be clear, it’s not hugs and kisses I’m trying to get away from, it’s the literal standing between my legs while I’m cooking, the tapping on my leg with a restless foot, and the insistence to sit on my face (what??).
Today I’m at ChoppedCon in Kansas City, most likely not being touched by other people and learning a little more about how to make this space better for you and me. While the kids don’t always make it possible for me to give the 100% I’m always trying to give, I like to attend conferences like this to improve my skills and pretend to be an adult who doesn’t always wear clothes with food stains on them.
It’s no secret that I love Mexican food, and it’s good to know that it doesn’t have to leave you feeling bloated and heavy. Corn tortillas are naturally gluten free and can be baked up crisp like chips. It’s easy to make these vegan by omitting the cheese and yogurt. Get ready to pile on the veggies for dinner and give yourself a pat on the back.
Top them with this cheesy green chile corn dip? Do iiiiiiit.
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Roasted veggies on a crisp tostada!
- 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
- 2 bell peppers, any color, chopped
- 8 ounces button or portobello mushrooms, sliced
- 3 ears of corn, cut off the cob (or frozen, thawed, about 1 1/2 cups)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more for spraying
- Coarse kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 15 ounces canned black beans, rinsed and drained
- 8-10 corn tortillas (preferably sprouted yellow corn)
- Monterey jack cheese (optional)
- Diced avocado (optional)
- Diced tomatoes (optional)
- Finely chopped fresh cilantro (optional)
- Lime juice (optional)
- Plain 0% fat Greek yogurt (optional)
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Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Arrange onion, bell peppers, mushrooms, and corn in a single layer across one or two baking sheets. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste and toss with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Roast in the oven until the veggies begin to brown and caramelize, stirring two or three times, about 30 minutes.
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When the vegetables come out of the oven, arrange the corn tortillas in a single layer on a baking sheet (working in batches as necessary) and lightly spray or brush both sides with olive oil. Bake the tortillas until crisp and just beginning to brown, 10-15 minutes.
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While the tortillas are cooking, toss the roasted vegetables with the black beans and adjust seasonings as necessary. When the tortillas are done, top with the vegetable mixture. Finish with a tablespoon of cheese, avocado, tomatoes, cilantro, a squeeze of lime juice, and a drizzle of yogurt if desired.
I’ll totally pat you on the back for these tostadas, yay, they look super interesting and appealing to me 🙂 I’m so glad I got to meet you at ChoppedCon!