Avocado and Chard Tostadas
Mexican, Tex-Mex, and other South-of-the-Border cuisine is a favorite in the Vanesscipes household.
The Li’l Sis can, and has, subsisted solely on burritos for days at a time, provoking comments like, “I bet your insides are stuffed with rice and beans!” and “OMG, you’re a walking burrito!” and other such highly-polished gems of humor.
Tostadas, however, really are superfun. They’re so crunchy and immalleable you must show restraint when taking a bite as not to send the whole thing crackling down the front of your shirt. And it’s hard to show restraint when something is as tasty as a tostada, so save your fancy shirt for another night.
Serves: 4
Time: 30 minutes
Avocado and Chard Tostadas
2 bunches chard, preferably rainbow because it’s awesome
4 cloves garlic, minced
corn or vegetable oil
12 or more small corn tortillas
1 can of vegetarian refried beans
1/2 jar or so green tomatillo salsa
3 avocados, cut into moon-shaped slices
queso fresco*, crumbled
1/2 red onion, diced
handful cilantro, chopped
2 limes, sliced
Wash the chard and separate the leafy part from the ribs. Cut the leafy part into ribbons and the ribs into slices. Sauté with the minced garlic for about 20 minutes, or until wilted and soft. Add salt to taste.
Grab a small skillet - one that’s just larger than your corn tortillas. Fill it with a half-inch of oil and heat the oil for few minutes on medium heat. Add one tortilla and deep-fry until golden in spots on one side. Flip with a tongs and fry until golden on the other side. Remove from the oil and drain on a paper towel. Repeat with the other tortillas. You can keep these warm in the oven or serve them room temp and crispy if it’s hot outside.
Heat a can of refried beans (or mash your own pintos) in a small saucepan over low heat.
Assemble the tostadas thusly:
Crispy tortilla on the bottom, slathered with a thin base of refried beans. Spoon over a tablespoon or so of green tomatillo salsa. Next, top with 3 slices of avocado, and a sprinkle of chopped red onion, crumbled queso fresco*, and chopped cilantro.
*I insist on queso fresco - a crumbly, salty, fresh Mexican cheese. But you could use white cheddar if your hunt for queso fresco turns out unsuccessful.
Serve with lime wedges on the side.
July 24th, 2007 22:17
Wow, this sounds *really* good. Too bad I didn’t see this recipe earlier today, because I really had to use up the chard from the CSA today. So I made Pizza with Swiss Chard and (Smart) Bacon, but the tostadas would have been great too!
July 24th, 2007 23:08
looks great!
July 24th, 2007 23:36
So pretty! I have been looking for something else to do with chard — the rainbow chard at our market has been so pretty, but I’ve run out of ideas about how to prepare it. Thanks for the idea!
July 27th, 2007 01:47
Has the Li’l Sis ever worked at Chipotle?
When I worked there part time, I practically lived on burritos, too. They’re still one of my favorite food groups, but I don’t eat them nearly as often as I used to. I’m probably down to one a week instead of one a day.
My pancreas has thanked me in writing.
July 27th, 2007 10:45
I think I finally can buy chard- I’ve just never seen anything with it that appealed to me. It looks like a tasty idea.
July 27th, 2007 14:24
Ianqui- Boy does that pizza look good! I bet it would be great with brocolli rab and lots of garlic too. Num NUM.
Johanna- Thank you!
Jennifer- I can’t keep my hands off the chard either. It’s so gorgeous and tastes great… and I can practically feel it filling my body up with all these colorful vitamins
Har3rvey- The Li’l Sis has never worked at Chipotle…I think the addiction must genetic. As far as food groups go, the burrito bypasses pizza and possbility even falafel as the best meal-in-one. In my humble opinion.
Mar- Check out the pizza link that ianqui sent above. looks divine!
July 27th, 2007 23:16
Yummy! My kind of dish!
July 28th, 2007 11:55
I did check out the pizza… but I’m a bit pizza’d out right now. But I bought rainbow chard this morning and tomatillos, so I am prepared (I was planning on making a salsa verde anyways, I didn’t even realize I’d need it for the tostatdas.
July 28th, 2007 11:59
Looks delicious! and wow, what a GREAT pic.
The chard this year is the best I’ve ever had… at least the local stuff is.. I swear, I’m in love with it.
July 29th, 2007 11:40
I (sort of) made your tostadas. They were a hit with my mom and grandmother. They were really yummy!
July 30th, 2007 15:57
Thanks Catherine - it would also be your kind of dish if you turned it into a pizza… you should try it!
Mar! I’m so glad you made the tostadas. As you probably realized, there are endless variations so you can have fun all year with different veggies and salsas.
Melody - I owe a profound thanks to Matt at Matt Bites for some easy photo tips (tripod, duh!) that are making my photos tons better!
I’m in love with chard too. Sounds like we should start a support group
August 22nd, 2007 19:12
All my favourite flavours too.
Rainbow chard must be the most impossibly, fantastically coloured vegetable on the planet…