Playing with Leftovers

We try to be serious about using up leftovers which can make for some interesting lunches during the week. Last week I had a lunch of mashed potatoes, cauliflower, a lone broccoli spear, and a yogurt that was close to its expiry date. Tonights dinner is a combination of a few leftovers: roasted butternut squash, roasted chicken, black beans, and the tortillas I wrote about yesterday.
The black beans I simmered in a variation of mole poblano sauce, once the beans were ready I crisped the tortilla in a little oil, layered on the chicken, beans, squash and then topped it with a little sour cream and a few sprigs of cilantro.
Delicious!

Chicken and Black Bean Tostadas
For the black beans:
1 medium onion diced
2 cloves garlic minced
3 poblano peppers roasted, seeded and chopped
1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce minced
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon sugar
1, 14 oz can of diced tomatoes drained
2 tablespoon peanut butter
2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1 cup of Ale of your choice
1, 15 oz can of black beans drained and rinsed
For the tostada:
6 tortilla
2 roasted chicken breasts shredded
1 small butternut squash roasted, peeled and chopped
sour cream
cilantro

In a saucepan, saute the onion over medium heat until soft and lightly browned. Add the garlic, the poblano peppers, the chipotle pepper and saute for 2 minutes. Add the chili powder, cumin, salt, cinnamon, cocoa powder, and sugar and saute for an additional 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, peanut butter, stock and ale, bring to a simmer. Add the black beans and cook for 10 minutes.

To assemble the tostada, heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a non-stick skillet over medium high heat. Add the tortillas in batches and cook for 1-2 minutes on each side or until crispy and brown. Add more oil as needed. Drain totillas on a paper towel lined plate. Place one tortilla on a plate. Place some shredded chicken breast on the tortilla, top the chicken with a few spoonfuls of the beans, then some of the roasted butternut squash. Top that with some sour cream and cilantro.

Avocado, chopped tomato, and cheese would also be nice garnishes. If you wish this to be vegetarian then skip the chicken and use vegetable stock to cook the beans.