My book club meets once a month for supper and a discussion of our most recent book choice. Sometimes, I really love the book choice and once in a while I can’t quite finish the book. It does cause me to read some books that I might not have otherwise read and has introduced me to new authors whom I really like. We have spirited discussions, especially when something about the book’s theme resonates with our current lives.
Each member is “hostess” about once a year; being responsible for the book club meeting at her house and providing the main course for our supper. The other members bring appetizers, vegetables, salads, and desserts. Our meals are always yummy and a lot of talkative fun. Last year we were “zooming”, but this year, we have happily been back in person.
My turn was in July, and I wanted to serve something that would be easy to prepare and not warm-up the kitchen too much. Some of our members eat a plant-based diet, so that has to be taken into consideration when planning the menu. Their vegetable contributions to the meal are always delicious. I finally decided that I would serve make-your-own-tostadas.
For the uninitiated, tostadas are like crispy tacos except the shell is flat. I like them because I don’t seem to make such a mess while eating them as I do with crispy tacos. In my grocery store, I have found some baked (not fried, not greasy) corn tostada shells with about 50 calories per shell, which is what I used. (For Texas folks, they can be found at HEB grocery stores.)
I made chunky gazpacho that I love on a hot summer evening when my garden abounds with tomatoes. I served refried beans, picadillo (a meat mixture) with ground beef for the meat eaters and a soy-based ground beef substitute for the plaint-based eaters. Toppings for the tostadas included Pico de Gallo, chopped onions, sliced jalapeños, salsa picante (out of a jar), sliced avocado, chopped lettuce, chopped tomatoes, and grated cheese-substitute. Each person built her own tostada with whatever ingredients she liked.
The table was decorated with colorful red and yellow Gerber Daisies and there were big sun flowers in copper vases on the mantle.
The book we discussed was “Into the Wilderness” by Sara Donati, a long book, but a good read, about the adventures of an English woman in the wilderness of the Adirondacks in the late 1700s. There was lively discussion, especially about how difficult the Heroine’s life must have been in the wilderness of the Adirondacks. At the end of our discussion, we were all thankful that we live in this day and age!
Refried Beans
Ingredients
- 1 can refried beans of your choice
- 1 can drained and rinsed black beans
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/4 to 1/2 cup water
Instructions
- Mix the refried beans and black beans together in an 8”-10” frying pan.
- Blend in enough water to make a spreadable consistency.
- Add the chili powder and ground cumin and mix in well.
- Cook over medium heat until the mixture is warm and the right consistency.
- Taste for seasonings, it probably does not need any additional salt because the canned refried beans are salty enough but give it a taste.
Picadillo
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground beef or 1 bag of frozen vegan ground beef substitute
- 1 onion finely chopped
- 4 small to medium cloves garlic peeled and minced
- 1 14 ounce can of chopped tomatoes drained (save the liquid)
- 1 green pepper finely chopped
- 2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 Tablespoon ground cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika not the smoked kind
- 2 cups liquid - juice from the tomatoes plus water or broth
- 3/4 cup sliced large stuffed green olives
- 1 cup raisins if desired
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- If using ground beef, cook over medium heat until it is lightly colored and no red meat is visible. Drain in a colander and rinse well with hot water to wash off the excess grease. If using meat substitute, simply sauté it briefly to break-up the pieces and warm it thoroughly.
- Sauté the onion and green pepper in a little bit of water to keep it from sticking to the pan, no need to use any grease. Cook until slightly softened.
- Add the ground beef or beef substitute and cook until completely cooked and mixed well with the onion and green pepper.
- Add the tomatoes and juice from the tomatoes plus water or broth to make 2 cups of liquid.
- Add spices and garlic, mix well and simmer covered for 30 minutes.
- Uncover the pan after 30 minutes, add the cloves, mix well, and simmer for an additional 15 minutes or so.
- If you would like to increase the spiciness, you can add a light sprinkling of cayenne pepper.
- Taste for seasonings and add salt and pepper to your taste.
- Some people like raisins cooked with the meat mixture (I do), but some people do not (the men in my family), so I put raisins in a dish for people to add themselves, if they like.
Pico de Gallo
Ingredients
- 2 cups diced ripe tomatoes - Roma tomatoes make a good choice they are not too juicy
- 1 cup finely diced white onion
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 2 cloves garlic peeled and minced
- 1 jalapeño pepper diced finely
- Zest of one lime
- 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
Instructions
- Mix onion, jalapeño, garlic, lime zest, and lime juice together and let it sit while you dice the tomatoes and chop the cilantro.
- Dice tomatoes in a medium-to-fine dice. Do not peel or seed. The skin contains nutrients and anti-oxidants and the seeds and soft tomato surrounding them add flavor.
- Chop the cilantro.
- Mix tomatoes and cilantro together in a medium-sized bowl. Add onion, jalapeño, garlic, lime zest, lime juice mixture and mix all ingredients well.
- Rest the Pico de Gallo for 15 minutes to allow the flavors to increase.
- Serve as a condiment for Mexican food or any food that needs a little crunch and spice.
I do hope you enjoy these recipes and that you have continued healthy and happy eating!
