Dinner Tonight
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[Photograph: Nick Kindelsperger]

About the author: Nick Kindelsperger is the editor of Serious Eats: Chicago. He loves tacos and spicy food. You can follow him as @nickdk on Twitter.

Every recipe we publish is tested, tasted, and Serious Eats-approved by our staff. Never miss a recipe again by following @SeriousRecipes on Twitter!

Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons canola oil, plus more for frying
  • 1 medium white onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
  • 1 jalapeño, stemmed, seeded, and chopped (about 2 tablespoons)
  • 2 medium garlic cloves, minced (about 2 teaspoons
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 (15 ounce) can whole tomatoes, drained and chopped
  • 1 (32 ounce) can pinto beans with liquid
  • Salt
  • 2 bunches kale (approximately 1 1/2 pounds), stems removed, leaves roughly chopped
  • 12 corn tostadas
  • 1/2 pound Mexican melting cheese (Oaxacan, quesillo, or Monterrey Jack), pulled into small strands or shredded
  • 2 limes, quartered

Procedures

  1. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and jalapeño, and cook until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cumin, stir well, and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add tomatoes and cook until chunks begin to break down, stirring often, about 4 minutes. Add beans and liquid and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer gently for 15 minutes. Use a potato masher or the back of a wooden spoon to mash beans until chunky. Season with salt, if necessary (it will depend on how salty the canned beans are).

  2. Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add half of the kale, season with a pinch of salt, and cook until bright green and starting to wilt, about 1 minute. Stir in the remaining bunch, and cook until all of the kale bright green. Pour in 1 cup water. It should boil immediately. Reduce heat to low and cover. Cook until tender, about 10 minutes. Remove the cover, and let any excess water evaporate.

  3. Smear some of the refried beans on top of each tostada, and top with a sprinkling of cheese and kale. Serve with lime wedges.