Meatless Meals: Grilled Veggie Tostadas

As Linette reminds us over at Mother Earth’s Garden, tomatoes are just starting to ripen around the Midwest and the Northeast. So are zucchini, eggplant, peppers, and a host of other vegetables. Below is one healthy way to take advantage of this bounty, courtesy of the people at Whole Foods Market. Feel free to modify the vegetables to reflect what’s in your garden.

Grilled Veggie Tostadas

3/4 cup olive oil, plus additional oil for brushing tortillas
2 teaspoons chili powder
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon salt
2 large zucchini unpeeled, ends trimmed
2 large yellow squash unpeeled, ends trimmed
2 red bell peppers
1 large eggplant, unpeeled, ends trimmed
1 large onion, cut into thin rounds

Salsa
1 pound ripe tomatoes, seeded and diced
1/3 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice (about 2 limes)
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced, more or less to taste
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

6 whole wheat flour tortillas, 6-inch-diameter
3 ripe avocados
lime wedges for garnish (1 lime)

Prepare the vegetables: cut the zucchini and yellow squash lengthwise into 1/4-inch thick slices. Seed, derib and cut the green bell pepper into 1-inch wide strips. Cut the eggplant into 1/4-inch thick rounds. Cut the avocados in half lengthwise, peel and remove the pit removed, slice thinly.

Preheat the grill to 375°F, a medium-hot grill. Mix the olive oil, garlic, chili powder and salt in a large shallow bowl. Add the zucchini, yellow squash, bell pepper, eggplant and onion to the bowl. Using your hands, rub the seasonings into the vegetables. Grill the vegetables in batches until lightly charred, about 4 minutes per side, or until the vegetables are tender.

Combine the tomato, onion, cilantro, lime juice, jalapeño, salt and pepper in a nonmetallic bowl, and toss to combine. Taste and correct the seasonings. Serve immediately, or cover and refrigerate for up to two days. Toss before serving.

Lightly brush both sides of the tortillas with olive oil. Grill the tortilla until lightly charred on both sides, about 3 minutes total. Place 1 tortilla on each plate. Distribute the vegetables equally over the tortillas, top with salsa, sliced avocado and lime wedge. Serves six.

Nutrition Info
Per Serving (623g-wt.): 580 calories (400 from fat), 44g total fat, 6g saturated fat, 13g dietary fiber, 10g protein, 51g carbohydrate, 0mg cholesterol, 690mg sodium

^{(photo courtesy of Whole Foods Market)}