Grilled Vegetable Tostadas with Quick Mole Sauce

Mole is a flavorful Mexican sauce made with dried chiles and dark chocolate. The sauce is a perfect match for the grilled vegetables in this vegetarian dish.

Grilled Vegetable Tostadas with Quick Mole Sauce
Photo: Andy Lyons
Prep Time:
1 hr
Cook Time:
10 mins
Grill Time:
5 mins
Total Time:
1 hr 10 mins

Ingredients

  • 1 recipe Quick Mole Sauce, (recipe below)

  • 4 medium zucchini and/or yellow summer squash, quartered lengthwise

  • 1 medium eggplant, cut in 1/2-inch slices

  • 1 large red onion, cut in 1/2-inch slices

  • 2 tablespoon olive oil

  • 16 4 inch toasted corn tortillas*

  • 1 8 ounce carton sour cream

  • 1 cup crumbled queso fresco or feta cheese

  • Avocado slices and/or Fresh Cilantro

Quick Mole Sauce

  • 2 tablespoon pumpkin seeds

  • 1 teaspoon sesame seeds

  • 1 medium onion, chopped

  • 2 cloves garlic, minced

  • 2 teaspoon chili powder

  • ½ teaspoon ground cumin

  • ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

  • 1 cup barbecue sauce

  • ½ ounce bittersweet chocolate, chopped

  • hot pepper sauce (optional)

Directions

  1. Prepare Quick Mole Sauce.

  2. Brush zucchini or squash, eggplant, and onion with olive oil; season with salt and black pepper.

  3. For charcoal grill, on rack of uncovered grill, cook vegetables directly over medium coals 5 to 8 minutes or until tender, turning once halfway through grilling. (For gas grill, preheat. Reduce heat to medium. Place vegetables on rack over heat. Cover and grill as above.) Cut vegetables in pieces.

  4. Serve the grilled vegetables with Quick Mole Sauce, toasted tortillas, sour cream, cheese, avocado, and cilantro. Makes 8 servings.

Quick Mole Sauce

  1. In large dry skillet over medium heat toast pumpkin seeds and sesame seeds 2 to 3 minutes or until toasted. Remove from skillet.

  2. In same skillet cook onion and garlic in hot oil 3 minutes or until tender. Stir in chili powder, cumin, and cinnamon. Cook 1 minute more or until fragrant. Stir in barbecue sauce, bittersweet chocolate, and hot pepper sauce (optional). Bring to boiling; reduce heat. simmer until chocolate is melted. Cool slightly. Transfer onion mixture and toasted seeds to blender or food processor. Cover and blend or process until smooth. Thin with water if needed; cool. Makes 1-1/2 cups.

*Toasted Corn Tortillas:

(Find 4-inch tortillas in stores that stock Mexican foods.) Brush both sides of tortillas with 1 Tbsp. olive oil. Place on baking sheet. Heat in 425 degrees F oven 8 minutes or until golden. Or, after brushing with oil, grill directly over medium coals 30 seconds each side or until warmed.

Hot:

Hot: 2 tsp. chili powderHotter: 3 tsp. hot chili powderHottest: 4 tsp. hot chili powder + hot-style BBQ sauce

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

464 Calories
28g Fat
48g Carbs
11g Protein
Nutrition Facts
Calories 464
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 28g 36%
Saturated Fat 8g 40%
Cholesterol 25mg 8%
Sodium 514mg 22%
Total Carbohydrate 48g 17%
Total Sugars 16g
Protein 11g
Vitamin C 39mg 195%
Calcium 171.6mg 13%
Iron 2.2mg 12%
Potassium 935mg 20%
Folate, total 92.7mcg
Vitamin B-12 0.2mcg
Vitamin B-6 0.5mg

*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

Related Articles