Lebanese Sfeeha Tostadas

This was a great and easy dinner.  It is a baked whole wheat tortilla, topped with a creamy bean mixture (garbanzo and pinto) and a spoonful of fresh cucumber and tomato salad.

Also, can emphasize something?  I do not eat to survive.  And I mean that in many ways.  First, I don't eat because I have to.  Second, I don't eat to get by.  I don't try to spend as little money as possible on food.  I don't only eat organic.  I don't only eat local.  I eat meat.  I eat healthy.  I eat donuts.  I don't starve myself.  I don't stuff myself.

Let's just all calm down for a second.

I say this because, I am sometimes afraid that food is too intimidating.  And I felt like it was important to emphasize that I don't eat food that I don't enjoy eating.  So if you see some healthy looking dish full of kale, whole grains, beans or other notorious "health" foods and you think that it will be too painful to eat, I am here to tell you that you should have no fear.  I don't like "health" food either.  I don't gnaw on rice cakes.

I want to promise you that everything I post on here is something I enjoyed eating.  I have tried lots of recipes over the past several years which called for "whole wheat tortillas".  And for the longest time, I always just got regular tortillas because whole wheat tortillas seemed like a bad idea.  Well turns out, they are actually pretty good.  I have had them several times over the past year and actually enjoy them.  The same goes for beans.  10 years ago, I would never choose to eat beans.  Now we eat them almost daily.  There are so many kinds!  And they are all delicious and easy to make!  Possibly the most useful food ever.  And when I first discovered kale when I was living in Boulder, I thought it was only for hippies and other crazy health nuts.  Now I buy it every week because I crave it.

PS:  I am fired up because I just saw a Tyson chicken nugget commercial targeting children.  It makes me so angry.  Don't let Tyson brainwash you.  Let me do it instead because I don't get any money for what I say, so you can trust me.   

Lebanese Sfeeha Tostadas

adapted from Cara’s Cravings

olive oil

½ of a medium onion, chopped

2 cloves of garlic, minced


1 can of pinto beans, drained and rinsed

1 can of garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed

½ cup of water or chicken stock

½ teaspoon salt (or to taste)


½ tsp of coriander

½ tsp of cumin

¼ tsp of cayenne pepper

1/4 cup chopped parsley


1/2 tablespoon of pomegranate molasses



2 heaping tablespoons of plain Greek yogurt


4 whole wheat tortillas

3/4 cup (4 oz) grape tomatoes, quartered


3/4 cup chopped, peeled cucumber


1/4 cup chopped parsley


1/4 cup chopped scallions


1 tablespoon olive oil


1 tablespoon lemon juice


Preheat oven to 375ºF. 

In a medium skillet, heat some olive oil over medium high heat.  Add onions and cook for 5 minutes until they have softened.  Add garlic, cook for 1 minute.  Add beans, water (or chicken stock), salt, coriander, cumin, and cayenne.  Bring to a boil, reduce to simmer and cook until all the liquid evaporates off.  Taste beans to see if the texture is good (I like mine really soft).  Add more liquid and repeat process, if desired.  Mash beans with the back of a spoon.  Add parsley, pomegranate molasses and yogurt and combine.

Meanwhile, prepare the salad by combining the grape tomatoes, cucumber, parsley, scallions, olive oil, lemon juice, and season with salt and pepper.

Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and place a metal cooling rack on top of it. Place the tortillas on the rack. Drizzle with olive oil.  Bake for about 10 minutes, or until the tortillas are lightly browned and crispy.

To serve, top the hot tostadas with bean mixture and a generous scoop of the salad mixture.

(Servings:  4, Prep time:  10 min., Cook time:  40 min., Difficulty:  Easy)


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foodforscot Ratings


Shanon (taste):  8/10
Scot (taste):  8/10
Effort:  2/5
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