Mexican sandwich - Tarta
When you say Mexican - tacos, quesadilla, enchilada, tortillas is what first comes to your mind but a Mexican sandwich ? Anything that has red/black beans, lettuce, avocado, stir fried bell pepper, lots of lime and Tabasco will inevitably remind you the Mexican flavours and so I call it a Mexican sandwich.
A traditional Mexican sandwich or tarta usually contains meat along with a black bean paste to let the bread stay moist. But today the meat is replaced with grilled peppers, bean paste with guacamole and whole red beans instead of pasty black beans
What you'll need :
1 large bell pepper (mix of colored peppers will do)
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup cooked red beans (pressure cooked with a tbsp of salt)
2 tbsp of finely chopped tomatoes
2 tbsp of finely chopped onions
1 ripe avocado
1 bread loaf, halved horizontally
2 slices pepper-Jack cheese (or any cheese slice will do)
Handful of shredded lettuce
Tabasco sauce
1 tbsp Olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
How to :
Cut the bell peppers lengthwise; discard seeds and membranes. In a hot non stick pan add some olive oil and sauté the bell peppers. Add salt and pepper as the bell peppers sear. Once they start charring remove from heat and aside.
To make the guacamole, in a medium bowl mash the avocados and lime juice. Mix in the a tbsp each of onion and tomatoes and adjust the salt and pepper. Keep it aside.
In a heavy skillet, add a tbsp of olive oil. As the oil begins to heat up, add a tbsp of chopped onions and sauté until translucent. Add a tbsp of chopped tomatoes, the cooked kidney beans and allow it to cook for about 5 minutes. The beans are already pressure cooked and not much cooking is needed. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
To assemble the sandwiches, halve the sandwich bread horizontally. Spread each roll evenly with the guacamole. Put the cheese at the bottom. Top with lettuce, tomato, avocado, bell pepper and shredded lettuce. Sprinkle a few drops of Tabasco sauce based on the heat kick you like. Arrange the sandwiches on serving plates and garnish with lime wedges.
