Think Healthy Food Can’t Taste Good? Try This Recipe for Tortilla Black Bean Casserole
Jodi Davis
| 3 min read
Why it is that so many people assume that healthy food is boring and can’t possibly taste good? There have been several occasions when I’ve taken a dish to pass for a party or gathering and the moment I uncover the food item, someone makes a remark. “I thought you only ate healthy stuff?” Of course I let them know that it is healthystuff you are looking at, food that is good for you. Not everyone believes me. They immediately think that healthy food consists of things that taste like cardboard or consist of sticks and stems, thus referring to it as “stuff” and not real food. They find it difficult to believe that any food (such as a casserole) topped with cheddar cheese and sour cream is good for you.
Healthy stuff — a.k.a. healthy food — does taste good. The list of healthy foods is endless, and to be honest, I have yet to consume something healthy that tastes like cardboard! Millions of people will agree that healthy so-called sticks — carrots, cheese, whole-grain pretzels — do in fact taste great. Stems — which I take to mean root vegetables or literal stems — are delicious too, it’s just that many people don’t realize that’s what they are eating!
So yes, the food that I serve at my home or take to a party or gathering is healthy even if it doesn’t appear to be. Allow me to share a great recipe that contains healthy black beans, garlic, tomatoes and more. The recipe is delicious, good for you, and hey… this “stuff” is pretty simple to prepare too!
Tortilla Black Bean Casserole
Ingredients
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped tomato
¾ cup chopped green pepper
½ cup chopped green onions
1 can diced tomatoes in sauce (14.5 oz.)
6 tablespoons picante sauce
2 teaspoons minced garlic (bottled works great)
1 teaspoon cumin
1 can black beans (15 oz.) rinsed and drained
6 corn tostada shells
4 ounces reduced fat shredded cheddar cheese – divided
6 tablespoons fat-free sour cream
1 cup chopped tomato
¾ cup chopped green pepper
½ cup chopped green onions
1 can diced tomatoes in sauce (14.5 oz.)
6 tablespoons picante sauce
2 teaspoons minced garlic (bottled works great)
1 teaspoon cumin
1 can black beans (15 oz.) rinsed and drained
6 corn tostada shells
4 ounces reduced fat shredded cheddar cheese – divided
6 tablespoons fat-free sour cream
Instructions
Coat a large skillet with cooking spray and place over medium heat. Add the onions and green pepper; reduce the heat and sauté until the vegetables are tender. Add the canned tomatoes, picante sauce, garlic and cumin. Bring to a boil; reduce the heat. Simmer uncovered for 10 minutes. Stir in the beans.
Coat an 11-by-7 baking dish with cooking spray. Spread 1 cup of the bean mixture in the bottom of the dish. Break three tostada shells into pieces and place on top of the bean mixture. Sprinkle on 2 ounces of the cheese. Spread 1½ cups of the bean mixture and then place the remaining tostada shells broken into pieces. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the shells and spread with the remaining bean mixture.
Bake, covered with foil, for 35 minutes in a 350-degree oven. Remove from the oven and top with the fresh chopped tomatoes, green onions, and the sour cream. Makes six servings.
Do you have any favorite dishes that you prepare that appear unhealthy but are actually good for you?
Photo by Spiffy0777
