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.   

Otherwise known as a "green tomato". Tart in taste and a staple in Mexican cuisine

• 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

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.

Ted's BBMP with ground beef.

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.  

Joanne's BBMP

Ted's BB(GB)MP...that would be: Black Bean Ground Beef Mexican Pizza -PHEW!

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!