Mexican Croustade

A low-fat, vegan version of our popular croustade recipe.

Vegan. Hands-on time: 10 mins. Total time: 40 mins.

Contributed by Janey Macleod (October 2010).

This is a slightly spicy version of Veg World's ever-popular croustade recipe, in which the creamy sauce is omitted, and beans replace cheese as the main protein source. It's therefore lower in fat, and is also vegan.

More importantly, the taste is terrific. The combination of avocado, spices and orange on the nutty base makes for a truly delicious dish. It also looks quite impressive - and very colorful.

The quantities given here will make a dinner dish for four when served with potatoes and vegetables or a side salad. Any leftovers may be refrigerated and re-heated the next day.

Ingredients

• 1½ cups (3.5 oz, 100 g) fresh breadcrumbs
• 1½ cups (3.5 oz, 100 g) ground almonds
• ¼ cup (1 oz, 25 g) of finely chopped nuts and/or sesame, sunflower or pumpkin seeds (use whatever you have to hand - the exact quantities are not critical)
• ½ cup (4 oz, 110 g) dairy-free margarine (if appropriate, check the label to ensure it's vegan)
• 2 medium sweet potatoes
• 1 small onion, peeled and diced
• 1 tbsp. vegetable oil
• ½ tsp. ground cumin
• ½ tsp. ground cinnamon
• 2 tbsps. orange juice
• 14-oz (400 g) can of chili beans (red kidney beans), drained and rinsed
• 1 ripe avocado

Method

Oven: Pre-heat to 350F (180C)

Mix together the breadcrumbs, ground almonds, nuts or seeds and margarine. Rub these together, then spread the mixture over the base of an oiled 8 x 12 in (20 x 30 cm) baking tin, pressing down firmly. Bake for about ten minutes, until the top starts to brown.

Meanwhile, peel the sweet potatoes, cut into quarters, and boil in salted water until done (15 to 20 minutes).

Gently fry the onion in the oil until it starts to soften. Add the spices, orange juice and beans. Cook for a few more minutes.

Peel the avocado. Cut it into chunks and add these to the bean mixture.

When the sweet potatoes are ready, drain and mash. Spread the mash onto the croustade base. Then add the bean mixture so that it covers the potatoes.

Lightly cover the dish with foil. Return it to the oven for a further 15 minutes.

Note on quantities and temperatures:
Quantities are given in American (cups), imperial (oz, fl oz) and metric (g, ml) units. Do not mix the units - use one or other system throughout the recipe.
See also How much does a cup weigh?
oz = ounces, fl oz = fluid ounces, g = grams, ml = milliliters, tsp = teaspoons, tbsp = tablespoons.
Oven temperatures are given in degrees F (Fahrenheit) and C (Celsius).
For fan-assisted ovens, reduce the temperature by 20F or 10C.