On the menu:

Tostadas

When 'Don't Say Diet' reader Jonathan Claxton saw my lighter version of quesadillas, he wrote to ask if I had any more Mexican recipes I'd be willing to share.

"I am currently on Weight Watchers, and I LOVE Mexican food — probably why I got to where I needed Weight Watchers," he wrote.

He gave my quesadilla recipe to his online support group and wondered if I could come up with any other similar slimmed-down recipes. "There are so many folks like me that can't live without good Mexican food! Thanks for any help you could send to a fellow weight loser," he wrote.

No problem. Here's a recipe I came up with for tostadas. It's one of the healthier meals I've created to keep Mexican food on my own menu. I lighten up this dish by choosing reduced-fat cheese and the leanest ground beef I can find. I also reduce the amount of beef by using extra beans. Instead of frying flour tortillas, I bake corn tortillas in the oven until they're crispy.

Two typical fast-food tostadas have 666 calories and 34 fat grams, according to NutritionData.com. But my slimmer tostadas keep the flavor while cutting the calories by 54 percent and throwing out 80 percent of the fat.

KATHY'S TOSTADAS
1/2 pound 96 percent lean ground beef
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 1/2 cups enchilada sauce
2 15-ounce cans of dark red kidney beans,

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drained and rinsed
12 (6-inch) corn tortillas cup sharp cheddar cheese made with 2 percent milk, finely shredded
1 cup tomatoes, seeded and chopped
2 cups shredded romaine lettuce
Nonstick cooking spray

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Put the beans into a pie plate or another shallow baking dish. Using a stick blender or a fork, mash the beans.

In a large skillet, cook the beef and onion until meat is browned; drain off the grease and return the mixture to the skillet. Add cumin, chili powder, pepper, the enchilada sauce and the mashed beans. Stir the mixture together until it's heated through.

Place the tortillas on baking sheets and lightly coat each tortilla with cooking spray. Bake at 350 degrees for seven to nine minutes, or until each tortilla is slightly browned and crispy. Remove the tortillas from the oven and spread the heated bean and beef mixture evenly over each tortilla. Sprinkle the cheese evenly over the bean and beef mixture. Return the tortillas to the oven and bake for about two more minutes, or until the cheese is melted.

Remove the tortillas from the oven and sprinkle the lettuce and tomatoes evenly over each tortilla. Serve immediately. Makes six.

Per serving (two tostadas): 306 calories, 29mg cholesterol, 460mg sodium, 15 protein grams, 6.8 fat grams, 49 carb grams, 11 grams of fiber.