Cinco de Mayo: Chicken Tostadas

Monday is Cinco de Mayo and if you're not up to braving the crowds that will inevitably be out and about this week’s recipe is for you. It's everything you'd want in a Cinco de Mayo dinner-hot, crispy tortillas, soft refried beans, limey chicken and the fresh taste of salsa and guacamole. The only thing missing is a margarita and a sombrero.


Those you'll have to take care of yourself...

Crispy Tortillas:
Vegetable oil for frying
6 White Corn Tortillas
Kosher Salt for sprinkling

Chicken
3 C. cooked shredded chicken
1/3 C. freshly squeezed Lime Juice
1/4 C. Olive Oil
1/4 C. chopped fresh Cilantro
Kosher Salt and freshly ground black Pepper

Tostadas
Refried beans, warm
1/2 C. Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
1/2 head Iceberg Lettuce, cored and shredded
1 Avocado, thinly sliced or guacamole
2 C. salsa
1/2 C. Sour Cream
1 Scallion, thinly sliced
12 fresh Cilantro leaves

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. **Alternately you can brush the oil onto the tortillas and bake them in the oven until crispy-about 10 minutes. Also note: They are yummier if you fry them!

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.

Recipe from Food Network Kitchens. Picture from Wikimedia Commons. As seen on Bostonist.com