Smokey Bean Bacon and California Avocado Tostada Recipe

What luck! As an evo’12 attendee, I was able to EAT this yummy dish AND watch it being prepared by the fabulous Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger.

It was as if the Border Grill Santa Monica came to visit my mountain-side retreat and brought with it the Top Chef Masters. Here’s the recipe so you can enjoy it at home!

Smokey Bean, Bacon and California Avocado Tostada Recipe

Prep Time: 25 minutes

Cooking Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients

3 cups water

1 cup trimmed green beans, cut on the diagonal into 1-inch pieces

4 slices bacon, thinly sliced crosswise

2 Tbsp. canola oil

3 Tbsp. white wine vinegar

1 Tbsp. honey

1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

2 Jalapeño chiles (red and green), stemmed, seeded and thinly sliced

1 (15 oz.) can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 (15 oz.) can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed

4 (6-inch) corn tortillas, fried until crisp

Marinated California Avocados (see the recipe below)

Instructions:

1. Bring water to a boil in a saucepan with a large pinch of salt. Cook green beans until just tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Drain and scatter on a platter lined with paper towels. Set aside to cool in the refrigerator.

2. Meanwhile, fry bacon in a skillet until crisp then drain on paper towels. Transfer a spoonful of bacon fat to a mixing bowl and add canola oil, vinegar, honey, mustard, salt, pepper and chiles. Whisk to form a vinaigrette.

3. In a large mixing bowl, combine green beans, black beans, red kidney beans and bacon. Pour on vinaigrette and gently toss to evenly coat. Chill until serving time.

4. To serve, spread a layer of bean and bacon salad on each crispy tortilla. Top with Marinated California Avocados and serve immediately.

Marinated California Avocados

Ingredients

2 ripe Fresh California Avocados, halved, seeded, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice

2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

3 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lime juice

2 scallions, very thinly sliced

1/2 bunch cilantro, roughly chopped

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. In a medium mixing bowl, combine avocados with olive oil, lime juice, scallions, cilantro, and salt and pepper, to taste. Chill up to 30 minutes before serving.

2. Serve on Smoky Bean, Bacon and California Avocado Tostadas.