What is a tostada?  Most people know this, but I had no idea there are so many ways to create the base for a tostada.

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Using corn tortillas, cover both sides with cooking spray and lightly salt. You can use olive oil as well. Place on a cookie sheet covered with parchment paper and place on the upper rack of the oven.  Watch closely- 2 minutes or so each side, flipping once.
2. If you like a traditional ‘shell’, then fold each prepared tortilla over two bars of your oven rack. Bake but watch closely…just a few minutes.
3. Looking for smoky flavor? Get your grill nice and hot and prepare the shells as described in #1 above. Place directly on the grates of the grill and watch closely just a few minutes between flipping them.

Now you have the base, let’s have some fun! Building it is easy.  Chip and I tried a few different options this weekend. Be creative and branch out a bit. Here are the tostados we made.  Feel free to intermix the ingredients.

Chorizo with fried egg 

Take one prepared tostada.  Build it your way, suggested ingredients are below.

• Fresh chorizo, loose. Cooked in a pan. Do not discard the run off.  You will use it to fry the eggs later.
• Avocado- sliced or mashed into guacamole
• Corn on the cob. Place in a Ziploc and toss with olive oil and seasoning to taste. We grilled it until slightly charred. Remove kernels.
• Sour cream
• Black beans- whole or mashed
• Cilantro
• Scallions
• Hot Sauce
• Salsa
• Jalapenos -sliced with seeds
• Top with the egg- ready to be fried- sunny side up.

Spicy tuna with avocado

Take one prepared tostada.  Build it your way, suggested ingredients are below.  Chip likes it hotter with jalapenos and spicy sauce. I omit the heat and love the creaminess of avocado with a hint of soy.

• Tuna- sushi grade, sliced thin, and cut in chunks.
• Avocado- sliced or mashed into guacamole
• Sour cream
• Soy sauce
• Scallions
• Peppers
• Hot Sauce
• Jalapenos -sliced, with seeds

Lime Shrimp with corn and peppers

Take one prepared tostada.  Build it your way, suggested ingredients are below.  Once again, I’m all about the sauce.  Avocado, sour cream and salsa.

• Shrimp- Toss with lime juice, olive oil and S&P. Grill until just cooked through, not too tough.
• Sour cream
• Black beans- whole or mashed
• Corn on the cob. Place in a Ziploc and toss with olive oil and seasoning to taste. We grilled it until slightly charred.  Remove kernels.
• Cilantro
• Shallots
• Scallions
• Peppers
• Hot Sauce
• Salsa
• Jalapenos -sliced with seeds

Lobster with seaweed salad

Take one prepared tostada.  Build it your way, suggested ingredients are below. Lobster gets a bad rap as costly and difficult to work with. I could not disagree more.  You can get a ‘handful’ of lobster meat from your local supermarket, fishmonger or by steaming and cleaning a 1 ¼ pound lobster yourself. I was into this for $5.00.

• Chopped lobster meat- only about ¼ pound needed; you can sub crabmeat as well.
• Avocado- sliced or mashed into guacamole
• Sour cream
• Black beans- whole or mashed
• Corn on the cob. Place in a Ziploc and toss with olive oil and seasoning to taste. We grilled it until slightly charred.  Remove kernels.
• Shallots
• scallions
• Peppers
• Hot Sauce
• Salsa
• Jalapenos -sliced with seeds
• Seaweed salad- top at the very end!

So, did you notice the one missing ingredient?  The one thing I live for more than chocolate? Cheese- I did not use cheese at all and to be honest, I did not miss it!

Share your custom combinations on the blog by replying to the post on the website.  I will publish them for all to use. Happy cooking… cucina felice!