Pita Tostada

I love making things from scratch (like my Tiramisu, Apple Strudel, French Bread, Apple Rosemary Pie, Ricotta Cheese…you get the idea!). If I had my way, I would love to make freshly prepared meals throughout the day. But life happens and it brings 100,000 things to do KIDS into the picture and suddenly you are chasing time, energy and sanity. Your best intentions remain just that and you get back to reality. Between other commitments, the last thing on you mind is making elaborate meals. And that’s precisely why I rely heavily on Under 15 minute meals. I stock some store bought basics (tortillas, breads, pasta etc)  and advance prepped ingredients like cooked beans in order to put together meals in jiffy.

This pita tostada comes under that category. Recently I ran out on tortillas and (no) thanks to the lockdown, there were none at the stores  3-4 times I visited. But I had lots of pita breads in my fridge and thought to use it to make these Mexican styled Tostadas. The classic version uses a toasted/fried (usually corn) tortilla that is topped with protein (meat) along with mainstays like beans, cheese, sour cream, lettuce and salsa. Here I have used refried beans along with cheese, some tomatoes and avocados with sour cream on top. But the toppings are totally up to you.

2  Pita Bread
Abt 1/2 cup Vegetarian Refried Beans
Abt 1/4 cup diced Tomato
Abt 1/4 cup diced Avocados
Abt 1/2 cup shredded Iceberg Lettuce
Abt 1/4 cup shredded Monterey Jack, Cheddar and/or Queso Fresco
Abt 1/4 cup Sour Cream

Optional

Salt to taste (optional)
Abt 1/4 cup of Salsa
1-2 tbsp pickled Jalapeños
1-2 tbsp chopped Cilantro

This tastes best when served hot – immediately as and when its made. Otherwise I find that the pita gets harder/tougher. These are a meal all by themselves but you can enjoy it as a quick pick-me-up snack as well.

Preheat oven to 350F. I have used Wheat Pita, Sprouted Pita and regular flour Pita for this recipe and they all work great. Use whatever you have on hand.

Place Pita on a baking sheet (or preheated stone) and bake for 5-7 minutes or until the edges start to crisp.

Remove the pita when crispy.

Top it with the refried beans, lettuce, cheese, tomatoes, avocado, cilantro and sour cream. Or use whatever topping you prefer – this is very easily adaptable.