Greek Tostadas

Well, sorta. Took a recipe and embellished it. The lamb meat can be omitted if you wish. Inspired by a recipe in Betty Crocker's Meatless Main Dishes. If you want to spice it up further, garnish with fresh minced hot peppers! A good way to use up leftover refried beans!

• Ready In: 20 mins
• Yields: 4 tostadas

Ingredients

• 1 (15 ounce) can  refried black beans
• 1⁄2 lb  cooked ground lamb (optional)
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1⁄2 teaspoon Greek oregano
• 1⁄2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1⁄4 teaspoon  salt-free garlic powder
• 1⁄8 teaspoon allspice
• 1⁄4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 4  whole wheat pita bread, warmed or 4  arabic bread
• 1⁄2 cup red bell pepper, diced
• 1  medium tomatoes, diced
• 3  tablespoons green onions, sliced thinly or 3  tablespoons red onions, diced small
• 1⁄2 cup  mizithra cheese, grated (feta cheese or white cheddar cheese can be subbed)
• 1  cup  shredded romaine lettuce or 1  cup  fresh  Baby Spinach, chopped
• 1⁄4 cup cilantro, chopped

• Toppings

•  salsa verde
•  sour cream (plain) or   Greek yogurt (plain yogurt)
•  minced fresh chili pepper (serrano, habanero, jalapeno, etc.)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to BROIL.
2. In a bowl, combine the cumin, oregano, chili powder, garlic powder, allspice and cinnamon with the refried beans.
3. Divide and spread the bean mixture on pita bread. Add the cooked lamb, if using.
4. Top with the bell pepper, diced tomato, green onion and cheese (use a combination of mizithra and cheddar if you want).
5. Broil for approximately 2-3 minutes, watching oven *carefully*.
6. Remove from oven and top with the lettuce and cilantro. Garnish with the salsa verde, sour cream and minced chili pepper, too!
7. Note: Yield is for tostadas without the optional meat. Half pound indicated in recipe is pre-cooked.