Recipes – TOSTADAS

Honestly, before researching for this book I don’t think I’d ever eaten a tostada, much less cooked one. Now I understand how delectable and fun to eat they are, I sit back and ask myself, whyyy? They don’t seem to be widely known in New Zealand, but perhaps this recipe will change all that. I mean let’s face it, soft tacos have been getting the glory for years now — it’s high time for the sassy, crispy-based cousin to have time in the limelight (lime — see what I did there?). You HAVE to try them. Look for the smaller, authentic tortillas in the Mexican section of your supermarket — they have wonderful flavour and texture. I’ve also seen pre-baked tostada shells around!

Serves 4
PREP 15 minutes
COOK 20 minutes

Ingredients

1 red onion, very finely sliced
lemon juice
300g (10½ oz) tomatoes or cherry tomatoes, chopped small
¼ cup chopped fresh
coriander, plus extra for garnish
8–10 small ‘real’ corn tortillas
extra virgin olive oil or neutral oil
sour cream, cheese sauce or aïoli (plant-based if preferred)
5–6 lettuce leaves, finely shredded
2 large avocados, diced or mashed
grilled corn kernels (optional)
lemon or lime cheeks
chilli or chipotle sauce or sriracha (optional)

TOPPING
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
or neutral oil
1 large onion, very finely sliced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tsp paprika
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
2 x 400g (14 oz) cans pinto beans, drained and rinsed (see tip)
1 cup vegetable stock
1 tbsp tomato paste
2 tsp coconut sugar
1 tsp salt

How To

To make the bean topping, heat the oil in a pan over a medium-low heat. Add the onion and cook for about 7 minutes until soft. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Add the paprika, cumin and ground coriander with a splash of water, and stir for another minute.

Add the pinto beans, stock, tomato paste, sugar and salt and simmer until most of the liquid has reduced. Mash the beans to a chunky paste — it won’t look very glamorous, but it needs to stick to the tortilla base as well as hold the toppings in place. Set aside until needed — you may need to add a little more water and warm it up again just before serving.

When ready to serve, preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) regular bake.

Place the red onion slices in a bowl with a large pinch of salt and 2 tsp lemon juice. Stir, then set aside until needed. Drain before use.

Combine the tomato and fresh coriander in a non-metallic bowl with a squeeze of lemon juice, salt and pepper, for your tomato salsa.

Arrange as many tortillas as will fit on a baking tray. Brush both sides lightly with oil and bake for 10–12 minutes, until they’re only very slightly golden and mostly crispy — they will finish crisping up as they cool and should end up totally crispy like a corn chip.

To assemble, spread sour cream, cheese sauce or aioli on each toasted tortilla.

Top with some of the bean topping, lettuce, avocado, tomato salsa, red onion and corn kernels (if using). Sprinkle with extra coriander, a squeeze of lemon or lime juice and a little extra salt and pepper. Serve with your favourite hot sauce if you like an extra kick.

The tortillas should be strong and crispy enough to lift with both hands without everything falling off. Crispy, juicy and delicious!

TIPS & SWAPS

• If you can’t find pinto beans, use one can of black beans and one can of cannellini beans.

• If you have limes, try adding a little zest to the finished tostadas for extra zing.

Extracted from Tasty by Chelsea Winter.
Photography © Tamara West. RRP$55.00.
Published by Allen & Unwin NZ.