You know when it’s May and you’re just ho-humming along, trying to get to summer time because you are all excited about summer weekend trips and day trips and ice cream trucks? Like, you’re just dealing with the rain and the Sesame Street/Diego/Super Why! trifecta and the dumping of arts and crafts rather than the doing of arts and crafts…and trying to stay out of the wine before 3:45 pm 5:00 pm…and then BOOM!
Heatwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaave!
And you’re all…okay, summer, I totally wanted you to get here, but see, whathadhappenedwas (which, I learned in my first year of teaching, means: Whatever I say from here on out is some variation of a lie, or at the very least, a “twisted’ truth) yeah…I’m not *quite* ready for you. It’s not my fault. (That’s the twist on the truth part.)
You know why I’m not ready for you? Because all of our A/C units are in storage. Which, when you live in New York, is about the same as your A/C units being in Greenland. (I’ve got cold destinations on the brain.) So we have to pull all of the shades, but keep the windows open enough to let air in just in case a stray breeze passes through and then angle our two small fans directly at ourselves, moving them with us, as we move from room to room.
It is so FUN, guys!
What’s that? Just get in the car and go somewhere air conditioned? Good idea! …If our car A/C wasn’t broken. Which is just doubly awesome and whatnot.
Can you tell I’ve got the Heat Crankies? Bad case of ’em. I think my shrieking children in the other room ‘playing’ together have them too.
{Enter Carlitos with a black eye and a limping Xavi, stage left. Yup, Heat Crankies in full (violent) effect over here, folks.}
So, until we get to storage this weekend, I have spent the last two weeks trying to cook as little as possible. Seeing as our wallets nor our belts can handle take out every single night and I have been told cereal with a side of apple is also not appropriate more than three days in a row (something about “nutrition’ and ‘being a caregiver’ or some BS like that) I have been forced to get creative.
Last week I came up with a Bean Salad and Sauteed Kale plan. And then I happened to be skimming my favorite blogs and what do I see?!?! Oh, on that very same day, miss joythebaker was making practically the same thing! I mean, not exactly, but as similar as, like, pomelos and grapefruits. Pretty similar. What are the chances? We must be kindred spirits. I am sure I am the only one of her gazillion readers who feels that way.
Using her post as inspiration and noting that I still had some leftover tortillas in the fridge, I altered my menu plan a bit and Voila! Sesame Kale and Mexican Bean Salad Tostadas!
Not my most creative recipe name, BUT a super delicious meal that was devoured by my three most frequent dining companions. Also, a fun and easy meal to make if you’re having vegetarian friends over for dinner.
Most importantly? It only requires the oven being turned on for about 10-15 minutes. Which, when it is 90 degrees, you have no A/C and your kitchen is the size of most people’s bathrooms, is a HUGE plus.
Sesame Kale and Mexican Bean Salad Tostadas:
Ingredients:
1-2 bunches of kale (washed, dried, bite-sized pieces without stalks)
1-2 spoonfuls of coconut oil
1/3 cup sesame seeds
1 can pink beans
1 can black beans
1 can garbanzo beans
2 limes
Few splashes red wine vinegar
1/4 cup crumbled queso fresco
large handful of cilantro
tortillas
1 avocado – sliced
To make:
Rinse the three types of beans and combine in a bowl. Add the juice of two limes, red wine vinegar, salt and pepper and cilantro. Sprinkle the queso fresco on top.
Toss the kale with melted coconut oil, sesame seeds, salt and pepper. Spread it out on a cookie sheet. Turn the oven to 350 degrees and put the kale in the oven until slightly crispy but still a little chewy (about 10 -1 5 minutes). When you put the kale in the oven you can also lay the tortillas straight on the second rack in the oven. They should take about the same amount of time, but simply take them out once they are light brown and the edges have curled up a tiny bit.
You can put all items on the table and let people make their own tostadas. To make a tostada, put a layer of sliced avocado on top of the tortilla, then some kale and top it with the bean salad. Hot sauce or cayenne pepper are certainly suggested (just omitted from base recipe in case you have little ones, like us). Get ready to get some queso fresco crumbles on your chin and cilantro between your teeth and ENJOY!
Let’s start with an action shot, shall we?
If you don’t have a lime squeezer, you get the most juice out manually when cut into quarters.
Kale and sesame seeds – two things that are infinitely yummier once toasted. BFF.
Don’t you kind of just want to jump in? Looks cozy. (Sidenote: We try to be green ’round these parts, but I do always line my pans with tinfoil to avoid so much scrubbing afterward. Sorry planet.)
The ‘glue’ for each tostada. And brain food. Want to be wicked smaht? I keep telling you: avocado and salmon, avocado and salmon…
Look! Look at me, guys! I am SO fancy! Like a real food blogger! Do you even see the blurry papel picado in the background?! I’m amazing!
Reality: As soon as I took that last ‘attempt at fancy’ picture, this happened. I tripped and sent all tostadas flying everywhere. Showing you this truth is me embracing the real me. Please embrace me too. Thanks. That feels nice.
Layering order actually matters in this case; The avocado glues the kale to the tostada and the beans prevent the kale from falling everywhere. Until you take your first bite, anyway. Then it’s time to get messy.
I’m sorry, I am kind of obsessed with how these look once you put them together. Bear with me and my 500 photos. Seriously, make some vegetarian friends just so you can invite them over and serve these.
Last one. Promise. I also promise that they were just as delicious to eat as they are to look at, in my (oh so very humble) opinion.
Also? Heat Crankies totally gone. Largely in part to this amusing and tasty dinner. Make these.
I am making this!!
Good! Post pictures on the Real Mommy Chronicles Facebook page!!!
Looks yummy–I’ll have to try to make those. I have yet to try to cook kale. I’ve had some lovely kale salads out, but I find it too intimidating to cook myself. I found a good fake chicken salad (made with chickpeas) that requires zero cooking, if you are interested. It’s really flavorful and takes about 5 min to make:
http://www.wheatfreemeatfree.com/vegetarian-chicken-salad/
Another yummy cold bean-based salad (add cumin to this recipe):
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Black-Bean-And-Corn-Salad-II/
There must be a “too hot to cook” cookbook around somewhere. If not, you should write one.
Did Carlitos really get a black eye? And was Xavi really the responsible party? Cleo can do some agressive clawing but no black eyes yet. Yikes!
Zoe – You HAVE to try roasting it like this! I swear, it is so easy and addictively good. You can use olive oil instead, but I think the coconut oil is a good compliment to the kale. And you don’t even need the sesame seeds-it is really delicious even plain with a little salt.
Thanks for the recipes! I will definitely try those. (and I agree-always love cumin with beans)
Don’t worry-black eye and limp were creative liberties. 😉
**rushes off to research if a ‘no cook’ cook book already exists or if there is room in the market to produce one and become bajillionaire…**
I totally get lazy at dinner time in the heat – this sounds perfect! I’m always trying to sneak leafy greens to the kids. Dress it up in a tostadas, and I might have a chance this time!