Chicken Tostadas

I'm setting the goal of cooking more recipes that are outside of my comfort zone.  Tonight was the kick off.  I decided to try making a recipe for chicken tostadas that I found on the Food Network's website:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/chicken-tostadas-recipe.html

Chicken Tostadas Ingredients

I fried flour tortillas in about an inch of canola oil in our Le Creuset.

I slathered the tostadas with refried beans (I didn't make the beans from scratch) and Mexican cheeses and then put them under our broiler (my first time using the broiler in the five years I've lived in our apartment!) for 30 seconds.

Tostadas Assemby Line - I made homemade guacamole (avocado, red onion, cumin, lime juice, cilantro [I wish I had a jalopeno to spice it up, but it was good]), the shredded chicken (dressed in olive oil, cilantro, salt & pepper, and lime juice), shredded lettuce, tomato, jarred salsa (I didn't make the salsa cruda), and scallions

My husband's tostada included sour cream

Mine was sans sour cream and delicious.

I highly recommend this recipe.  Frying tortillas was not as hard as I thought it would be and they were so crispy and delicious.  There were a lot of fresh ingredients.  Next time I'll maybe try making the beans and salsa from scratch.  I'll let you know my next cooking adventure soon.

Here's the full recipe in case the link no longer works:

Total Time:
1 hr 25 min
Prep:
45 min
Cook:
40 min

Yield:
6 main course servings


Ingredients

Crispy Tortillas
Vegetable oil for frying
6 white corn tortillas
Kosher salt for sprinkling

Chicken
3 cups cooked shredded chicken
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup chopped fresh coriander ( cilantro)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Tostadas
Refried beans, warm, recipe follows
3 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, shredded (about 1/2 cup)
1/2 head iceberg lettuce, cored and shredded
1 Hass avocado, thinly sliced or guacamole, recipe follows
2 cups salsa cruda, recipe follows
1/2 cup sour cream
1 scallion, thinly sliced
12 fresh coriander (cilantro) leaves

REFRIED BEANS
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 medium Spanish onion, finely chopped
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
4 cloves garlic, minced
One 15-1/2 ounce can pinto beans (with liquid), mashed
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper

SALSA CRUDA
2 ripe tomatoes or 4 plum tomatoes, cored and roughly chopped
1/4 medium onion, finely chopped (about 3 tablespoons)
1/4 jalapeno, seeded and minced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander (cilantro)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Directions

To make the tortillas: Pour the oil for frying into a large heavy-bottomed pot to a depth of about 2 inches. Place over medium heat and heat to 375 degrees F. Add the tortillas, one at a time, and fry until golden brown and crispy, about 1 1/2 minutes. Using tongs, transfer to a paper towel-lined pan and sprinkle with salt. Set aside.

To make the chicken: In a small bowl, mix together the chicken, lime juice, oil, coriander, and salt and season with pepper to taste. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside.

To assemble the tostadas: Preheat the broiler. Spread the beans evenly over one side of each tortilla and sprinkle with some of the cheese. Transfer to a baking sheet and broil until the cheese is lightly browned and melted, about 30 seconds. Divide the tortillas among 6 plates.

Evenly mound the chicken on each tortilla and top with the lettuce. Top each tostada with avocado, salsa, and a dollop of sour cream. Sprinkle with the scallion and garnish the tostada with the coriander leaves. Serve immediately.

Cook's Note: The tortillas must be fried until very crispy, otherwise they may become rubbery, making them difficult to cut with a knife and fork.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion, coriander, and cumin and cook, stirring, until lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, until lightly browned, about 1 minute more. Add the beans and cook, stirring frequently, until thick and amber brown in color, about 4 minutes. Stir in the salt and season with pepper to taste.

SALSA CRUDA

In a small bowl, mix together the tomatoes, onion, jalapeno, coriander, salt, and season with pepper to taste. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside.