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Black Bean and Nopalitos (Cactus) Tostadas with Pickled Red Onions

Chef Juan Rodriguez’s Fort Worth supper club has a waiting list, and getting a seat at the gourmet dinner is a source of pride. Juan wanted to re-create his grandmother’s tradition of bringing people together through food. The communal tables mean people rub elbows with other diners and make new connections and friends.
Fort Worth is currently the largest certified Blue Zones Community in the United States. Since the launch of the initiative, the city has gone from one of the least healthy to one of the healthiest cities in the country. As part of his commitment to the community, Chef Juan gives free Blue Zones Project cooking demonstrations, teaching people how to make delicious, plant-slant dishes. Juan’s black bean and nopalitos tostadas are a good example. Everyone knows beans and crispy tortillas, but Juan throws in a sauté of nopalitos, a type of cactus that’s a bit like okra in texture, with a tart, citrusy flavor.

Makes 4 tostadas | Active Time: 1 hour 30 minutes | Total Time: 4 hours
Makes 4 tostadas | Active Time: 1 hour 30 minutes | Total Time: 4 hours
Chef's Notes

• You can find epazote, an aromatic herb, in Mexican grocery stores or online.

• To reduce the cooking time of your beans, soak the beans in water overnight. Drain the soaking water and rinse. Then add fresh water to cook.

• Pickled onion can be stored in the refrigerator for up to a month.

Making the Tostadas

To make the beans, in a stockpot, combine the beans, water, oregano, epazote, cumin, and salt, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and cook until the beans are tender, about 1 hour 20 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed.

To make the nopalitos, heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the cactus, onion, and tomato, then cover, reduce the heat to low, and cook for about 20 minutes, until the cactus is tender.

To make the pickled red onion, in a saucepan, bring the vinegar, water, sugar, salt, and oregano to a boil over medium-high heat.

Place the onion in a heatproof bowl. When the liquid is boiling, remove it from the heat and pour it over the onion in the bowl. Let it cool.

To make the tostadas, preheat the oven to 400°F (205°C).

Brush the tortillas lightly with oil and arrange them in a single layer on a baking sheet.

Bake for about 10 minutes, until the tortillas are lightly browned and crisp.

Top each tortilla with a generous spoonful of beans, a generous spoonful of the nopalitos, some of the pickled onion, and a handful of shredded cabbage.

Step 1: Making the Tostadas
  • FOR THE BLACK BEANS:
  • 1 cup dried black beans
  • 6 cups water
  • 1 tablespoon oregano
  • 2 tablespoons epazote
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 tablespoon salt
  • FOR THE NOPALITOS:
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 nopal (cactus) paddle, trimmed to remove any thorns and finely diced
  • 1⁄2 cup finely diced onion
  • 1 tomato, diced
  • FOR THE PICKLED RED ONION:
  • 1⁄2 cup red wine vinegar
  • 1⁄2 cup water (or prickly pear juice)
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1 tablespoon kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 red onion, thinly sliced
  • FOR THE TOSTADAS:
  • 4 corn tortillas
  • Oil for brushing
  • 1⁄4 head green cabbage, shredded

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