Chicken Tostadas
This dish Mila got from her lovely grandmother Mama Maxie. There were ten times grandchildren in her family she was very creative in coming up with meals that could feed a lot of people economically. Not only economically but healthy and simply.
To us this dish epitomizes healthy comfort food. Loaded with vegetables. More vegetables than protein in this for sure. I think it’s one of the most looked forward to dishes on our menu rotation. It’s relatively easy to make. But it is time consuming. Although once you’ve finished all the prep, it’s a lot of food. Not only is it a lot of food but it’s versatile. That evening we make the main course the tostadas. The next morning we make juevos rancheros. And finally it makes a hearty chicken and vegetable soup.
INGREDIENTS
Chicken
1 Whole Chicken (I like to rinse, especially when pre-frozen)
2 whole green peppers
1 chopped onion
1 garlic head
1 qt can of tomatoes if fresh is available use 4-6
Handful of Mexican Oregano
Salt & (whole crushed) Pepper
For liquids best homemade Chicken bone broth.
Using water or store bought bone broth you will need to add Chicken bouillon (make sure there’s not MSG in it)
Enough liquids, 4 inches above the chicken
Potatoes
10 potatoes
Refried Beans
You can use 2 cans of refried beans or follow our recipe
3 cups of pinto beans
Garlic
Oil
Sauce
Bell peppers from chicken
2 cloves of garlic
salt & pepper
Toppings
Lettuce
Cilantro
Habanero
Sour Cream
Cojita
Criolla
Red onion
3-4 limes
Tostadas
1 pack of corn tortillas
2-3 tortillas per person
Oil
THIS IS HOW WE DO IT
Chicken
Add all into a large pot, start with chicken on the bottom
Bring to a boil, once it’s boiling, simmer for about 1.5 hrs
You may get some white froth on top, if so, skim that off
The bell peppers will float on top, dunk them and turn them to cook the other side.
Taste throughout, make sure you have enough taste in the broth
While that’s cooking add a whole zucchini & a carrot keep an eye that it DOESN’T turn into mush.
Once cooked set them to cool down; you’ll want to dice to garnish tostadas
Start boil potatoes 🥔 until tender
Take the chicken & bell peppers out of the broth to cool and the potatoes. Cool down for an hour
Shred the chicken and combine potatoes with kosher salt & pepper to taste. I hand smash crumbling potatoes into the chicken.
Start your coilla recipe below
The Sauce
Take the 2 bell peppers into a blender add the chicken tomato broth (you’ll have more than enough broth to store)
2 cloves of garlic
salt & pepper.
Once blended, taste it, and it should be thicker than the broth you added.
Add into a pot and set to boil, simmer until it’s reduced to a sauce thickness.
Beans
Tostadas
Fill a pot with oil
Fry
Salt to taste
Cool on plate with a towel to absorb excess oil
Toppings
Criolla
Thinly slice red onion
Squeeze 3-4 limes
Place in bowl and refrigerator until dish is ready
Lettuce
Cut thinly
Chop
cilantro
habanero
Dice
the cooked carrot and zucchini
Sour Cream
Sour cream, mix it up so that it’s runny
If super thick, you can add a little milk, blend by adding salt
Cojita
Crumble on top