Homemade Mexican Pizza

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• Pinch red pepper flakes
• Avocado oil, plus more for frying
• 1/2 onion, finely diced
• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 cloves garlic, pressed through garlic press
• 1 teaspoon flour
• 2 (15 ounce) cans black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/4 teaspoon lime zest
• 1 teaspoon lime juice
• 8 white corn tortillas
• Taco sauce
• 2 cups shredded Mexican blend cheese
• Finely diced tomato (about 1 large tomato)
• Finely diced red onion (about 1/2 small onion)
• Cilantro leaves
• 1/4 cup sliced black olives (optional)
• Sour cream, if desired

Preparation:

• – In a small ramekin, combine the chili powder, ground cumin, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes, and set this aside as your “spice mixture”.
• – Place a large pan or skillet over medium-high heat, and drizzle in 1 tablespoon of the oil; once hot, add in the onion and saute for a couple of minutes, until softened and translucent; crumble in the ground beef and break it up very well with a spoon, to create a fine crumble, and cook the meat for a couple of minutes until cooked through.
• – Add in the tomato paste, the garlic, and the “spice mixture”, and stir to combine; cook for about 1-2 minutes, then sprinkle in the flour and stir to incorporate; reduce heat to low, and gently simmer the meat mixture for about 3-5 minutes, until slightly thickened; spoon into a bowl to slightly cool.
• – Into the same pan/skillet drizzle in about 1 tablespoon of the oil, then add in the black beans; add in a couple of generous pinches of salt and pepper, and cook the beans for about a minute or two, just until warmed through; off the heat, add in the lime zest and the juice, and mash the beans with a masher until chunky-smooth, to create a sort of “refried bean” consistency (you can also add in about 2-3 tablespoons of water if too thick); spoon into a bowl to hold warm.
• – To fry your corn tortillas, add enough oil to the bottom of a pan/skillet to completely cover it, and enough to submerge the tortillas in; place the pan over medium-high heat, and once the oil is hot, add in one tortilla at a time and fry for about 10 seconds on the first side, keeping the tortilla submerged with your tongs, and flip (it won’t be golden on that first side, yet, but that’s OK); cook on that second side for about 30-40 seconds (until golden-brown), then flip and fry that first side for another 30 seconds or so; drain on a wire rack, and repeat with remaining tortillas; allow to cool slightly before assembling.
• – Preheat oven to 400°, and line a baking sheet with foil.
• – To assemble, spoon about 1/4 of the mashed black bean mixture onto one tortilla, followed by about 1/4 of the seasoned ground beef; cover that with another fried tortilla, and add some taco sauce (about 2-3 tablespoons), plus a generous sprinkle of the cheese; sprinkle over a little of the olives, diced tomatoes, and red onion; repeat with the remainder of the tortillas, making 4 Mexican pizzas.
• – Place them onto a baking sheet and bake just until the cheese is melted, about 4-5 minutes.
• – Garnish with some cilantro leaves, and a touch of sour cream; cut the pizzas in half with a knife or even into quarters for tiny wedges.

Source: The Cozy Apron