Yummy Chicken Tostadas

OK, I was visiting Facebook and a post of the food network got my attention. You know I do enjoy Mexican food or as in the grocery store in Sweden referred to the isle, "Tacos," well not Texas tacos. It is a pathetic selection of "Mexican" food or as they might call it, "Taco food."  Anyway, that is a different story. Back to my blog intent. So I was checking up on my Facebook feed and a wonderful picture of a tostada showed up. I began to crave them and within 20 minutes I knew what was for supper!

The recipe was a little different and it caught my attention. It used shredded chicken.  Well it just so happened I had some cooked chicken just asking to be shredded chicken for a tostada.  But it needed something to kick it off. It needed tang.  I put my head to it and tang...something new was created.

The tang wasn't the typical just add some "taco sauce,"  salsa from the taco isle at the Swedish market. It is based on chorizo. Now I know that just turned a stomach or two, (perhaps the one it was made from...) as the grocery clerk said, "once you know what it's made of..," but it is necessary.

So buy it and cook it in a skillet. I soaked up some excess grease with a paper towel.

I chopped an onion and added it to my skillet.

I then added some chipotle peppers in adobe sauce. I love the flavor but they are hot, even for me. I opened the can and used half and froze the other half. They were so hot the freezer started thawing before taking charge of the situation. No, they are not really that bad.

I also put in a can of green chilies, they are super mild but have a great flavor.

I then added chicken bouillon, and some water.

I cooked it down for a while and it was ready to top a tostada.  I buy the pre-made shells and just toast them up to make them extra crispy.  You need a thin layer of beans spread across the tortilla.  I then put a layer of my Chorizo Chicken and covered it in my world famous Pico De Gallo. If you don't know about that then you need to check out my recipe for it from August of 2012. http://thepilotsplatate.blogspot.com/2012/08/pico-de-gallo.html

If you want to put a little shredded lettuce and cheese or even some sour cream or guacamole. Be my guest, it is an open face crispy sandwich which you can assert your creativity as you customize it.  Go do it!!!

Pico De Gallo

I love spicy food in general and this one is the ticket. I've sampled it in Mexico many times and in Mexican restaurants galore. If you're one of my non USA readers you may not be able to get the ingredients.

One thing I love to do is go to grocery stores around the world. Even within the United States regionally there are differences. Up in New York where I stay between trips not only is the Mexican food generally lousy but the stores don't carry much selection of Mexican food ingredients.

Several years ago I was making a visit to Germany to stay with a friend. They requested I bring them salsa saying it was hard to get if you could find it at all.

Enough of that and hopefully if reading this leaves you craving pico you can find the  ingredients.

The first I ever ate pico de gallo was down in San Antonio Texas in 1985. My mother's cousin Bill Baker  made it for us. I've been eating it ever since.

For me lots of cilantro is critical. You may call it coriander. In the states coriander is just the seed and the green part is cilantro. If you grind the seeds you wind up with cumin. Just chop the tender leaves up nice and fine. Where I live in Texas you can get it in any grocery store for about $0.50 a bunch.

Next chop up some onion. The finer the better. Doesn't look like I did a very good job in that area.  I guess I was too excited to get it all together and start eating it!

Chop up some tomatoes. I like the Italian Roma variety because the are less juicy and more meaty.

Ah yes, the heat. Again in Texas these guys run about $0.50 per pound. If you prefer you could use a hotter pepper or a milder one. By removing the seeds and white veins you can cut the heat down. Leave them in if you want to jack it up. Funny but just writing this is making my forehead sweat.

OK pretend that piece of fruit is green not yellow! Yes, use a lime or two if you have them. I only had lemons in the refrigerator and didn't feel like running out for them. Sorry about that purests, you could use the bottled variety too.

Garlic salt to taste. You could use fresh garlic or garlic powder seperate from the salt but I find the ratio in the garlic salt to be good. If you do use fresh garlic be sure you mince it very fine because you want the flavor to come out evenly. You can manipulate the quantities of any of the ingredients as your taste buds deem perfection.

Get a bag of tortilla chips and dig in!! Thank you cousin Bill for turning me on to this treat!

If you know Bill, or have someone who has inspired you in a culinary fashion, or if you just like Pico De Gallo you should send him or her a message telling them about it, they will enjoy your appreciation.

P.S. Try to not eat the whole bag of chips, notice I dip it liberally!