Panko Fried Avocado Taco Salad with Black Beans +Tortillas

Stack the tortillas and cut them into ½” thick strips, then in half or thirds into shorter strips. Place them on a baking sheet and drizzle with about 1 teaspoon of olive oil and ½ teaspoon of salt. Toss to coat and spread out in one layer.
Shuck the corn and add the whole ears to the side of the sheet pan.

Roast for about 5-6 minutes. Keep a close eye on the tortilla strips and use a spatula to carefully stir them at least once.

Slice avocados in half. Reserve 1 for dressing. Use a large spoon to scoop out the halves. Drizzle the avocado halves evenly with 1 teaspoon of olive oil and sprinkle with ½ teaspoon each: salt, cumin, chili powder and a few turns of freshly cracked black pepper.

Place the panko in a bowl. Using a spoon, gently place each piece in the panko and spoon more over top. Turn to coat. You can press gently to get it to stick. There will be some “bald” spots but that’s ok. Move to a clean plate.

Heat a non-stick pan over medium high heat. Add 3 Tablespoons of oil. After it’s warm and shimmering, carefully place the avocado halves in the oil. Don’t overcrowd, if you need to do two batches, that will be fine.

Cook for about 3-4 minutes until the first side is golden, brown, and releases from the pan. Flip and cook the other side. Pan frying like this won’t be perfect, you’re looking for most of the surface to be mostly browned. Remove from pan. If needed, repeat with the next batch.

Sprinkle the hot avocado with a pinch of salt.

Meanwhile, slice up the romaine into thin strips or squares. Wash and dry as needed to make sure it’s clean. Toss in a large bowl.

Finely dice half of a red onion and add it to the bowl.

Slice cherry tomatoes in half, if you prefer, or add them whole.

Open and drain the beans. When the tortillas are crisp and done, remove them from the oven and scrape into a bowl. Add the drained beans to the hot pan and cook them in the oven for 3-4 minutes. This will be just long enough to warm them a bit but not to dry them out. This is optional, but since the oven is on and it doesn’t dirty the pan, it is a nice touch for the texture of the beans.

In a blender, place 2 Tablespoons Cider Vinegar, ½ teaspoon Honey, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper, and 1 whole, ripe avocado (peeled). Add 2 teaspoons of water and blend. Stream in the olive oil, about 5 Tablespoons or so. If it’s too thick, add another teaspoon or so of water, whatever is needed for a smooth and not too thick consistency. The ideal texture is between sticking to a spoon but still looking soft or that of heavy cream.

Add the beans to the lettuce.
Slice the corn off the cob and add it to the bowl.
Add the tortillas to the bowl.
Toss gently to combine everything.

Divide evenly among plates or big shallow bowls. Top with slices of the fried avocado and serve dressing on the side or drizzled over top.