Chicken Tostadas: A Flop. Or a Dud. Whichever.

It may look irresistibly tasty, but it was actually just so-so. Actually, not even that, because the avocado wasn't ripe and it added a bitter taste to the tostadas.

But the unripe avocado wasn't what made them so-so. They lacked the rich, salty flavor that beef brings to tostadas. I should have known. Chicken? Tostadas? A no go. But I was intrigued by the unique meat selection, so we tried it.

And we will never try it again.

A flop. Well, a flop tastes bad, and apart from the avocado these didn't taste bad. So I guess this was just a dud, because duds are simply disappointing, like Chicken Tostadas.

Before I give you the recipe that I don't think you'll want, a few comments about what you can see in the pictures.

Parking violation. Probably our fifth since we've been married, because one of our cars must stay parked outside our complex on the street where it gets a ticket if it is found still parked there on Fridays between noon and 2 pm. Five times we have remembered to move the car too late. The City of Los Angeles must love us for all the money we've had to pay up. (There is now an alarm on my phone that tells me to move the car every Friday.)

Coca-Cola. Neither of us has had a Coke in four months, so to celebrate, Brent got a 12 pack. I think we downed four this weekend.

Anyways, the recipe.

Chicken Tostadas with Green Salsa & Chipotle

Taken from Perfect Mexican: A collection of over 100 essential recipes

Ingredients

6 soft corn tortillas

vegetable oil, for frying

1 lb skinned, boned chicken breast, cut into strips or small pieces

1 cup chicken stock

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

14 oz canned refried beans

large pinch of ground cumin

2 cups grated cheese

1 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro

2 ripe tomatoes, diced

handful of crisp lettuce leaves, such as romaine, shredded

4-6 radishes, thinly sliced (We DID NOT use these. We don't like radishes.)

3 scallions, thinly sliced

1 ripe avocado, pitted, peeled, diced or sliced, and tossed with lime juice

sour cream

1-2 canned chipotle chilies in adobo marinade (We DID NOT use these either.)

Method

To make the tostadas, fry the tortillas in a small amount of oil in a nonstick skillet until crisp. Set aside.

NOTE: I didn't fry my tortillas, I brushed them with olive oil and set them in a 325 degree oven until they were crisp. A healthier option.

Place the chicken in a pan with the stock and garlic. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and cook for 1-2 minutes, or until the chicken begins to turn opaque.

Remove the chicken from the heat and let stand in its hot liquid to cook through.

Heat the beans in a separate pan with enough water to form a smooth puree. Add the cumin and keep warm.

Reheat the tostadas under a preheated medium broiler, if necessary. Spread the hot beans on the tostadas, then sprinkle with the cheese. Lift the cooked chicken from the liquid and divide between the tostadas. Top with the cilantro, tomatoes, lettuce, radishes, scallions, avocado, sour cream, and a few strips of chipotle. Serve immediately.