This week cooking with the CEimB group is hosted by Apple Crumbles. That’s right. You’re in the correct place.
It was one recipe where I thought I’d get away with cooking one dinner for both Ted and myself. I told Ted what was on the menu and he considerately said “sounds good”, then turned in the direction of the freezer. I knew immediately what he was up to, so I threatened…”if we have to add ground beef to your pizza, then you have to share the meat with Shane”.
Back to the pizza…. so we added ground beef to Ted’s pizza, and made a few adjustments to Ellie’s recipe, which is found on pages 174 – 175 of The Food You Crave.
Put on your aprons …grab your sharpest knife… preheat the oven…lets go!
Making the Bean Dip: You don’t need to make the whole Mexican Pizza to enjoy this dip. Try it with crudites or crackers.
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 1/2 medium onion – diced
- 1 clove garlic – minced
- 1 tomatillo – I saw it in the store and it screamed MEXICAN at me.
- 1 TBS seeded and minced jalapeno pepper (I used 1/2 a Chipotle pepper in Adobe sauce)
- 15 oz can Black Beans – drain and rinse *NOTE: Beans are a legume and a good source of fiber, protein, iron, calcium, zinc, and B vitamins… also low in fat. They are NOT however a complete protein as animal products. In order to compensate for the essential amino acid deficiencies, we combine plant proteins e.g. wild rice and beans, or whole wheat bun with grilled portabella and roasted red peppers, or… tonight’s meal!
- 2 TBS fresh lime juice (I used the juice of 1 1/2 limes)
- 1/4 tsp cumin
- 2 TBS chopped cilantro – substitute parsley if you prefer
- 1 TBS water
- Salt and pepper to taste
Nutrition for Bean Dip: 1/4 serving (this recipe makes 1 cup/ 4 servings) Calories: 97 Total Fat: 2.5 g Protein: 4 g Carbs: 15 g |
Assembly of the Black Bean Mexican Pizza:
- (4) 6” whole wheat or corn tortillas
- 1/2 cup of the Black Bean Dip you JUST made
- 1 ripe tomato, seeded and diced * I used 2: 1 large and 1 plum
- 1 cup shredded green cabbage
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro – My cilantro mysteriously disappeared from the fridge …TED! 😡 I used parsley instead.
- I added about 2 tsp per tortilla of Cheddar & Mont. Jack cheese
Preheat the oven to 400 F. Place the tortillas on a baking sheet and spread 2 TBS of dip on top of each. Note: At this point, I simply sprinkled cooked ground beef on top of the black bean dip for the meat eater. Top with tomato and cabbage and bake until crisp, about 10 minutes. Remove and sprinkle with cilantro (parsley). Cut into 4 wedges and serve.
Serving Size: 4 wedges -as written in the book (or one whole prepared tortilla) Calories: 130 Total Fat: 2g Protein: 4g Carbs: 24g |
We enjoyed the flavor – nothing was too strong. The tortilla wasn’t too heavy. The crisp cabbage complemented the soft tortilla which also had a nice crispiness around the edges. The flavor of the bean dip was fantastic with the lime melding in harmony with the cumin and heat of the pepper.
Ted questioned whether there is a cooking rule that might bar the coupling of beans with cabbage. I reassured him that since the beans were mashed, their “TURBO POWER” had been deleted.
If you made the pizza this week, hope you liked it. If you didn’t, make sure to leave me a note any way so I can see what delicious dinner you did cook up. Such a talented group, I love to read your blogs! 🙂
Ok, I have to be honest with you. When I read the recipe, my immediate first thought was “WAS ELLIE DRUNK WHEN SHE CAME UP WITH THIS RECIPE?” Because you can kind of imagine her being tired, drunk, just wanting to eat Doritos and call it a night when instead she has to come up with her special healthy pizza burrito recipe. So I figured I’d wait on it to see what everyone thought – and they really do look pretty tasty. So maybe I’ll try it this weekend…I just didn’t have the time this weekend. And I was just busy hoovering Doritos into my face all week long…
Hope to see you tomorrow!
Thanks for picking this week’s recipe as I would never have selected this one in a million years and it would have been my loss. Loved it! Was prepared to NOT love it, so Ellie had her work cut out for her on this one. But you know what, I made it exactly as she said and it was delightful. Can’t beat the calorie count! I can see where adding beef, chicken, and cheese could also be an option, but really, I loved it as it was, so nice to have something guilt-free to throw together quickly! Thanks for the choice! Yours looks wonderful!
Wow- I was really thinking that this week you wouldn’t have to make more than one version since you chose the recipe! How nice of you to add some ground beef.
Your pizza’s look beautiful and the changes you made sound delicious. We loved this. The dip was fabulous.
I added chicken and cheese to the rest of my family’s, but I loved this one as is. Thanks!
I loved this recipe!!! Than you so much for picking it, it was so simple and so delicious!
Wow, your pizza looks incredible!!! How did I know there would be more than one version made of this?!!? You are incredible!!! I loved the bean dip, but the pizza wasn’t be favorite. I should have baked it instead of microwaving. It got a bit mushy.
Hey Guys! So good so far.
Don’t you feel responsible if you pick the recipe and people don’t like it? Kind of like you came up with it yourself and put it on their table. I had to keep thinking…Ellie is responsible for a crappy dish … not me!
But if any of you DID NOT like it, I’ll put a letter together addressing it to Ellie (anyone know her address?).
Thanks for cookin’. 🙂
Joanna – thank you so much for picking this and for helping me switch things up a bit. I made these, made mine double decker, and they were delicious! Yours look fantastic of course. You are a rock star.
LOL at the missing cilantro. I would’ve thrown it in the trash too 🙂 Looks like this was a hit, so sorry I wasn’t able to cook along with you and your selection this week!
What is with boys and their fear of any perfectly good protein that is not meat?
This was a great choice. So easy, so versatile, so delicious! I’ve enjoyed it with a few modifications (with cheese and a smidge of sour cream) and also as an accompaniment to the lunch truck’s quesadilla (nothing like adding something semi-healthy to something completely unhealthy to feel like you’re not a complete slob). I know what you mean about worrying you’ll pick something everyone hates, but it looks like this was a winner. Glad it was for you too!
[…] A day late, but here’s the Ellie recipe for the week! It’s Black Bean Mexican Style Pizzas which was hosted by Apple Crumbles. […]
Thanks for such a great CEiMB choice! I really enjoyed this recipe and will definitely make it again:) Your pictures look awesome
Hehe, looks like many of us added some cheese. What’s a pizza without a little cheese, right? Your BBMP looks gorgeous!
Ted is quickly becoming my favorite person – adding beef to the pizza, stealthily sabotaging the cilantro. Score for Ted!
This was a tasty pick, and I especially loved the black bean dip. That I will make again for sure.
I’m such an idiot: I mixed up the recipes and made this today for this weeks CEiMB… Loved it! Added a bit more cilantro (love the stuff) and swapped the cabbage for some lettuce. Yum!
[…] this week’s recipe please visit Apple Crumbles or you may also find the nutrition information for Ellie’s version of the Mexican Tortilla Pizza […]
[…] CEiMB has sent me looking all over town for one special ingredient… Black beans! Joanne of Apple Crumbles picked Black Bean Mexican Pizza, since I love both Mexican food and Pizza I knew I was in for a […]