Just in time for Cinco de Mayo, I’m bringing you a recipe that’s simple and extremely tasty! Not to mention, pretty healthy given the ingredients.
The basic idea is that small (6-7″ across) flour tortillas are wedged between cups on an upside-down muffin tin and filled with dried beans (to weigh them down). The tortillas are baked for a handful of minutes and BOOM, perfectly crispy and shapely tostada bowls. No oil, lard, or complex equipment necessary!
Recipe 55: Tostada Bowls + Homemade Taco Seasoning
Total time: 20 minutes
Yield: 5 Bowls
Ingredients:
- 5 Flour Tortillas (6-7″ across)—*check for the “fajita size” ones…
- 2 medium Chicken Breasts, thawed and cut into small pieces
- 1 clove Garlic, minced (about 1 tsp)
- Cheese
- Avocado/Guacamole (Quick version: Avocados; mashed with your favorite salsa and a dash of lime)
- Black Olives
- Jalapeños (I like the “nacho” slices)
- 1 Tomato, seeded and chopped
- 1 can Black Beans, rinsed and drained
- Taco Seasoning (for chicken):
- 1 tbsp Chili Powder
- 1/2 tbsp Ground Cumin
- 1/2 tbsp Paprika
- 1/2 tbsp Onion Powder
- 1/2 tbsp Oregano
- 1/2 tsp Kosher Salt
- 1 tsp ground Black Pepper (I used white pepper as it’s a bit milder)
- Squeeze of Lime Juice
- 1 tsp Olive Oil (vegetable oil OK)
- 1 cup dried Beans (no matter what kind, we’re using them as “weights” for the shells)
Process:
Combine your chicken with the taco seasoning and a squeeze of lime and set aside.
Preheat your oven to 350F and bust out the muffin tin. Flip it over and wedge 3 tortillas between the cups so they make “stars”. If you have a standard tin, you should be able to do 3 at a time. (See the pictures). Add a handful of beans to hold them down, and pop into your oven for about 5 minutes, or until the shells start to brown around the edges.
Remove tostada bowls and carefully flick the driedbeans out (some may stick due to the moisture in the tortilla, but no worries). Allow to cool fully on a wire rack.
Heat a medium skillet over medium heat on the stovetop. Add a tsp of olive oil, and cook your minced garlic until very fragrant. Add your chicken and cover for 2 minutes.
After 2 minutes, remove the lid and toss the chicken around with a spatula, allowing it to cook fully and develop a nice caramelized coat on the outside. Snag a piece or two to make sure it’s to your liking… ;)
Once the chicken is cooked, gather the rest of the toppings and pile them all into your tostada bowls. Get creative with these, the possibilities are endless and they’re small enough that you can have more than one without any guilt. ;)
Note: One of our cats, Goomba, loves to sit on top of her play tower and watch me as I cook. Every time. It’s like the most adorable cooking class of all time. O_O
