Tostada Shells, refried beans and dressed salad

Crispy Fried Tortillas (Tostadas)

• 8-10 corn tortillas

• vegetable oil

1. Take a skillet, over medium-medium high heat and add vegetable oil. Make sure you cover your skillet with about 1 inch amout of oil.

2. Make sure you set up layers of paper towels next to your stove. Also, I find that tongs are easier to flip over your tortillas. Wait for your oil to come up to temperature. I’d say about 350 degrees. Place a corn tortilla into your hot oil. Keep an eye on this and occasionally flip your tortilla. You will start to see that your tortilla will get color around the edges. You’re looking for a nice amber color. Once you achieve this color on both sides of your tortilla, take it out with your tongs and place on top your layers of paper towel to drain. Continue to fry the rest of your corn tortillas until you are finished frying them all.

Refried Beans-

• A pot of about 3 cups of cooked pinto beans

• about 2 inch piece of beef or pork Mexican chorizo sausage

1. Start frying your chorizo sausage in a pan. What will happen with the chorizo while it fries, is that it will start to break down. This is normal. Mexican chorizo does not stay solid. Make sure your heat is at a medium heat.

2. Working in thirds, add a third of beans. I’d say the amount is equal to a ladle full.

3. With this ladle full of beans in your pan with the chorizo… you will take your bean masher and apply pressure and mash your beans into your chorizo. Do this until most of the liquid is absorbed into the beans. Now add the next third of your brothy beans. Mash these. If you see that the beans have gotten considerably dry, add more liquid from your bean pot. Then add your final third of beans and mash them too. Y se acabo! You’re done!

Dressed Salad

• 2 tablespoons Apple cider vinegar

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• a pinch of freshly ground black pepper

• 6 tablespoons oil (vegetable, olive or I used Avocado)

• about 2 1/2- 3 cups chopped Romaine lettuce

1. In a medium sized bowl add the apple cider vinegar, oil, and 1/2 teaspoon salt and pinch of black pepper. Whisk these ingredients until well emulsified.

2. Add your chopped romaine.

3. You add this small salad atop your various tostadas.

4. Y se acabo! You’re done!

This series was so much fun to make! The end product was awesome. The set table with all of what I made: the mexican crema, guacamole, refried beans…. tostadas etc… Just filled my table and looked soo beautiful and colorful. Guys, this series was a labor of love. But I am so thrilled with how it turned out. Buen Provecho!