Christine and the Big Scary Kitchen

Happy Cinqo de Mayo!  You don’t have to read my blog and/or twitter much to know, I eat a lot of Mexican food.  I don’t know when it started, but I’ve always had a craving for some refried beans, a little cheese, and red onions.  When I went to Colorado Springs over the weekend, I was at one of my favorite taco stands every other day, munching on delicious flour tortillas.  Now, I’m back at home, thinking up food concoctions.

When I make food, I have an easily distracted mind.  I generally need to have a few notes scribbled down to keep me going, especially on Post-Its.  I love Post-Its and i have a pretty nice system:

Though this is an easy recipe, it has a few elements, so it might seems a little complicated.  The good part is each element can easily be paired with other food to make a completely different Mexican meal.

Chicken Tostada Ingredients:
Developed from Martha Stewart’s Simply Recipes
(serves two – takes about twenty minutes)

Four small flour tortillas
Refried beans
Cayenne Chili Rubbed Chicken
Avacado Salsa

Refried Beans
One clove of garlic, minced
One can of black or pinto beans, drained
Two teaspoons of chili powder
One teaspoon of cumin
A few pinches of salt and pepper
Half a red onion, chopped

Start by making the refried beans.  Melt a couple tablespoons of butter in a saucepan.  Add garlic and heat for about a minute.  Add the beans.  Stir and smash the beans.  Let cook for a few minutes then give another stir and keep smashing.  Continue until desired consistency and add seasoning and red onion.  After about ten minutes, lower heat until ready to serve.

Cayenne Chili Rubbed Chicken
One chicken breast (about three ounces)
Two teaspoons of chili powder
One teaspoon of cayenne (if you want spicier go ahead)
Olive oil

Rub chicken down with the chili powder and cayenne.  Heat pan and add olive oil.  Add chicken.  Cook for about three minutes on each side or until cooked all the way through, slightly blackened.  Let rest for a couple minutes then slice.

Avacado Salsa
1/2 red onion, chopped
avacado, cut into medium sized chunks
2 T of lime

Combine lime and onion.  At the last minute, fold in avocado.  Serve.

Assembling the Tostada

Heat the flour tortillas about fifteen seconds on each side in a clean sauce pan.  Put a layer of beans, another warm tortilla, then a layer of beans.  Top with a few slices of chicken, some cheese and the avocado salsa.