Today I was in the mood for one of my all-time favorite meals, Tostadas. Generally, I like mine without any meat on top of them. Tostadas work great as a meal for those who have picky eaters. You can throw whatever item your heart desires on them. They also work for breakfast with over easy eggs. We'll get to that idea later.
Since we spent last weekend out of town, I figured I'd try to come up with a meal that would yield leftovers until I go grocery shopping. On a side note, does anyone else feel like you spend more money making small trips to the grocery store throughout the week versus when you make one big haul? Hope that's not just me! I decided that I would swing by the Mexican store after picking Noah up from school. I wanted something that wouldn't take a lot of time to pull together. Now, if you do not have a Mexican store near you, most large chain grocery stores have the ingredients we will use today, so don't worry too much. Again, this meal can be customized for your family. Feel free to leave out or add as many ingredients as you'd like. Make it a fun game with the kids. Come up with different varieties and make it a weekly meal that involves the kids.
The first thing I will have you do is slice the chicken into thin strips for quicker cooking times. You are going to take half of your Achiote seasoning and rub it generously on your chicken. For those of you who have not had the pleasure of eating food with this seasoning... it may just become your favorite new seasoning for chicken. The nice thing is that the small package of seasoning should cost you less than $3, so don't feel too bad if it doesn't work with your family. The flavor is a little smoky and fragrant. If you choose to leave this ingredient out, sub it for a garlic/salt/pepper mixture. At this point, I have had to pull penny away from the table because she loves the smell and thinks she can sneak a piece. Trying to convince a toddler that salmonella is not at all tasty is proving to be a difficult task today. My daughter is as strong-willed as she can be, therefore when she is determined it is hard to get her mind on something else. Luckily we have leftover valentine's day candy that I can give her. Leave your chicken to marinate while you move onto the beans.
You want to pour the beans into a skillet and make sure to include the liquid. Bring them to a boil and start mashing these babies. Let out all the frustrations you have on your beans. Remember that one time the kids drew on the entry wall with permanent marker? Or how about that time they decided they thought the pancake mix box had actual pancakes inside and then made a floury mess all over the floor? Let's not forget the time they mixed the dog food into the water bowl and made a mushy mess. Anyone? Back to the recipe, once your beans are mashed, you can remove them from the heat so that they can thicken.
Next, throw your chicken in a skillet and cook for about 8-10 minutes or until cooked thoroughly. That's all the cooking you will have to do tonight! Hooray for that! You will then want to shred the lettuce. Now we can work on building the Tostadas.
I will go through the way that I make my Tostadas. Smear the beans on the Tostada first. Take the lettuce and carefully place on top of the beans. Next, you can add your chicken. If perhaps your family doesn't like chicken or you're trying to go for more of a vegetarian meal, feel free to leave the chicken out. I prefer them without the chicken but my people at home love chicken.
Add the cheese. I picked up some queso fresco. The crumbly texture is perfect for Tostadas. As with the crema, you can substitute queso fresco for say shredded cheddar cheese. I want to push you outside your comfort zone and have you go out and grab some queso fresco. You can thank me later. Add slices of avocado. The last ingredient is crema (Mexican sour cream). Something important to note, you don't have to use Mexican sour cream. If you only have regular sour cream, go ahead and use that. I'm all for using the items that are already in the fridge. I would suggest going out and buying Mexican sour cream one day to give it a try. The taste is similar but I feel like the mexican version taste lighter and more refreshing.
Now stand back and marvel at this beautiful and easy meal you just created. If your kids are anything like mine, they will inhale this version of "fancy nachos." Full bellies mean they are more likely to be content later on and may even... play with each other nicely! Gasp!
**One last final note. If you have leftover beans and Tostadas, I have a great breakfast idea. Instead of topping with chicken, place the beans first and add an over easy egg. Top with avocado, crema, and salsa. This is such an easy breakfast meal that you can pull together during the week.**
Carolina
Awesome Meal!!!
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