Chicken Tostadas

You guys are going to get so tired of me saying this, but this was delicious! I love Mexican food and this hit the spot tonight. I love the crunchy tortilla, spicy chicken and cool sour cream.

Sidebar: The recipe calls for 1-2 Serrano chiles. I thought I'd be brave and do 1 whole chile (meaning I didn't seed it- taking out the seeds and ribs- before roasting). When I tried just the sauce, it was so hot I had to put chapstick on. No joke. But when you put it all together, it really mellows out. If you're super brave, try 2!

Chicken Tostadas

Adapted from Martha Stewart Living Magazine

Ingredients

1 medium white onion

1 lb tomatoes, quartered

2 lrg garlic cloves

1-2 fresh serrano chiles, stemmed (and seeded if you want to tone down the spice)

1/2 c vegetable oil plus 2 tbsps

3 c shredded lettuce

6 lrg radishes, halved and sliced (try the radishes! they are so crunchy and delicious! do it for me)

1/2 c chopped cilantro, divided

1 rotisserie chicken, meat coarsely shredded (4 cups)

6 6-inch corn tortillas

1 can refried beans

1 avocado, diced

1/2 c Mexican crema or sour cream

1/4 c Mexican cheese

Directions

Preheat broiler. Cut half of onion in 3/4-inch wedges, then chop remainder. Toss onion wedges, tomatoes, garlic, and whole chiles in 2 tbsp oil in a sheet pan, spreading in 1 layer. Broil about 4 inches from heat until softened and charred, 10-15 minutes.

Meanwhile, toss together lettuce, radishes, chopped onion, and half of cilantro. Set aside.

Puree tomato mixture in a blender along with the serrano chile(s) and 1 tsp salt until smooth. You may need to add a tbsp water to get it going.

When blending hot stuff, take the plastic center out of your blender lid and cover that space with a dish towel so that heat can escape. Transfer puree to a bowl and add chicken, remaining cilantro, and salt to taste.

Heat remaining 1/2 c oil in a heavy medium skillet (I used cast-iron) over medium-high heat until the oil shimmers. Fry tortillas, 1 at a time, turning once or twice until evenly browned and crisp. Drain on a paper towel, then transfer to plates.

Spread the tortillas with the refried beans, then top with chicken mixture. Slice avocado over tostadas and dollop with crema or sour cream. Mount lettuce mixture on top and sprinkle with cheese.