Chicken Tostadas
Serves: 4
INGREDIENTS
Tortillas:
2 jalapeno peppers, halved and seeded
1 teaspoon olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Vegetable oil for frying
4 flour tortillas
Guacamole:
1 ripe avocado
1 tablespoon lime juice
Topping:
3 tablespoons sour cream
1 tablespoon lime juice
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken, skin removed
1 cup sliced green onions
1 tomato, seeded, and chopped
2 cups shredded iceberg lettuce
METHOD
Preheat oven to 400 F. Place jalapenos on baking sheet. Brush with 1 teaspoon of oil. Season with salt and pepper. Roast for 15 to 20 minutes, or until tender and wilted. Cool, skin and chop.
Pour 1/4-inch oil in a small skillet over medium heat.
Fry tortillas for 1 to 2 minutes a side or until golden. Drain on paper towel. Repeat with remaining shells.
Mash avocado with back of a fork. Stir in lime juice and season with salt and pepper. Reserve.
Combine sour cream and chopped cilantro in small bowl. Set aside. Combine shredded chicken and roasted jalapeno.
Spread each tostada shell with 3 tablespoons of guacamole and top with 1/2 cup of chicken mixture. Garnish with green onions, tomatoes and lettuce. Drizzle with cilantro cream.
SUGGESTED WINE PAIRINGS
Lucy has referenced children in her introduction to the tostadas, so permit me to start with a non-alcoholic suggestion: lemonade. You can festively rim the glasses with sugar and call them “margaritas,” an enchanting word for kids to pronounce. Lemonade would suit the entire menu, in fact. For adults, the genuine margarita – 1 ounce tequila, 1 ounce fresh lime juice and 2/3 ounce triple sec shaken with ice – is a fine choice for all three recipes. So is a bloody Mary. On the wine side, keep things zippy or boldly fruity or both. These are spicy-zesty dishes that call for punchy fruit. Sauvignon blanc is ideal if you favour white. Good reds include zippy Beaujolais or fuller-bodied Chilean merlot or California red zinfandel (though the crisp, light salad rolls really beg for white). - Beppi Crosariol