Tostadas with mango slaw

You get home late, you're tired, it's hot out. Making dinner is a choooore. Am I right?

Quesadillas would be great, but they're so much work to put together and then a mess to clean up. Ready for the revolution? Its name is "tostada!"

First and foremost, arm yourself with a batch of this mango slaw (I use peanuts instead of cashews). It keeps for days, and there are so many easy, hot-weather meals you can make with it. Last night I boiled some thin rice noodles, browned some julienned ham tube (just make sure it's vegan and gluten-free. ALWAYS read the ingredients, every time), and tossed a spoonful of chili garlic paste in with some mango slaw. You can also serve it over rice, with baked tofu. Or on a chickpea burger made with homemade bread (frozen and toasted to thaw).

If you're looking for more work to do in the kitchen while the tostadas are baking, slice and saute a ripe, black plantain in a little bit of oil til dark brown on both sides. It makes a wonderful, simple side dish and should be done just in time.

Tostadas with mango slaw

vegan, gluten-free

serves 2, 2 tostadas each

Ingredients

• 1 cup mango slaw. I love this recipe.
• 4 corn tortillas. I buy the uncooked, frozen ones. You don't need to defrost them or anything. Convenience!
• 1 cup refried beans. I like Trader Joe's black or pinto. You can use whole beans and mash them up a bit, too.
• 1 cup vegan cheese. I use Daiya white, I think it's called Italian style.

Directions

• Pre-heat oven to 400 F.
• Spread each tortilla with about 1/4 cup of the refried beans, and sprinkle with about 1/4 cup cheese.
• Lay the tortillas flat on a baking sheet, and bake for about 10 minutes or until the edges of the tortillas are just starting to brown and the cheese is melted.
• Let sit for 2 minutes, top with about 1/4 cup of mango slaw each. Serve immediately.