Monday, May 10, 2010

Chicken Tostadas


I love love love Mexican food, but sadly for me, really good Mexican restaurants are few and far between out here in the wilds of Northern New Jersey. Yes, there is El Bandido in Spring Valley, but unless you want to eat your Mexican dinner at 4pm in the afternoon or wait on a wicked long line (no thank you and no thank you), you are pretty much relegated to Taco Bell. And while I do love a Crunchwrap Supreme as much as the next girl, I also sometimes get in the mood for good old fresh-tasting chemical-free Mexican food.

So if you can't find it, make it - that's my motto, and this recipe is a quick and easy and pretty healthy version of chicken tostadas. You can use either corn or flour tortillas, but personally I like the taste of the corn ones for this. If you have some grilled chicken around that will work perfectly in this dish. You are basically melting some shredded cheese on the top of your tortillas, then topping them with the cooked shredded chicken that you have heated up in an easy sauce of onion, chili powder, lime juice and water. The kicked up chicken goes on top of the tortilla and top it off with whatever Mexican wonderfulness you like best. We had tomato, avocado chunks and red onion...this time. I wouldn't say no to guacamole, salsa, sour cream, etc. etc., though. Chicken tostadas -- yumyumyum.


Chicken Tostadas, adapted from Everyday Food

4 corn tortillas
3 tsp olive oil
3/4 c Monterey Jack cheese ..or more
1/2 small red onion, diced small
1/2 tsp chili powder
1 garlic clove, minced
1 cup cooked chicken breast, torn into bite-sized pieces
coarse salt & ground pepper
1 tsp fresh lime juice
1 tomato, seeded and chopped
1 avocado, halved, pitted, peeled, and diced small
fresh parsley or cilantro

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees lightly on both sides of tortillas w/ 2 tsp oil and place on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until golden and crisp, 10 minutes. Divide cheese among tortillas and return to oven. Bake until cheese is bubbling, about 3 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside.

2. In a large skillet, heat 1 tsp oil over medium-high. Add half the red onion and cook until softened, about 3 minutes. Add chili powder and garlic and cook until fragrant, 30 seconds. Add chicken and 1/4 c water and season w/ salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until chicken is warmed through and water is almost evaporated, 2 minutes. Stir in 1 tsp lime juice and remove from heat.

3. Top each tortilla with chicken mixture, tomato, avocado, remaining onion, and parsley or cilantro.

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