Hey people! I am so sorry and feel really bad about leaving the blog untouched for such a long period of time. I went home for a wedding on last Thursday. I actually cooked on two separate occasions while there but my mom's kitchen is darker than mine so I have no good pics to share. We got back Sunday night so I didn't have a chance to cook at home over the weekend therefore I had an absence in posting. The weekend is when I get the best light and can take the best pictures after cooking. They are the days when I can sort of take my time and plan things out. Otherwise, I am in my super, super, super dark kitchen, rushing after work and/or school, making something that tastes good but I can't get a good picture of.
That's another thing. I have been reading up on food photography so that I can better convey the tastiness of my food. I am still really working at it and trying to become better as you can probably tell by the picture of the baked tostada shells below. I just have nowhere near grasped the ability to take a decent picture inside. Stick with me, I'll get it.
On to the food- This is a simple recipe. You will not feel one ounce of guilt for eating it. Baked shells and black beans step in for the standards of fried shells and refried beans and the hardest part is waiting for the chicken to cook. After that, it's basically an assembly line production of delicious ingredients that stir up a flavor party in your mouth. Yay!
You'll need:
Chicken (Marinade recipe below)
Black Beans (Preparation below)
Baked Tortillas (Directions below)
Lettuce (I used baby kale)
Fresh or Store bought Salsa (Wholly Salsa on my part)
Guacamole (Spicy Wholly Guacamole for us)
Shredded Cheese (Had "Mexican blend" in the fridge)
Corn Tortillas
Chicken Marinade:
1/3 cup lime juice (about 2 Limes)
1 Lemon
1/2 tsp Ground Cumin
1/2 tsp Hot Mexican Chili Powder
1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
1/2 tsp Onion Powder
1/2 tsp Kosher Salt
Fresh Ground Pepper
1/2 cup olive oil
2 lbs boneless chicken (I used thighs)
Add your seasonings to your fresh squeezed citrus juices and mix well. Then slowly add olive oil, stirring as you pour to incorporate. Pour over chicken and let marinate for at least 1 hour.
When finished marinating, cover chicken with aluminum foil and cook on 375 until juices run clear, maybe around 45 mins.
Black Beans:
1/4 cup Onion
2 cloves Garlic
1/2 tsp Cumin
Salt
Pepper
1 tbsp Cilantro
Juice from 1/2 a Lime
1 16 oz can black beans with 1/2 of liquid poured off
While the chicken is in the oven, saute' your onion and garlic for about 1 minute then add beans. Bring to a boil for around 2-3 minutes and then reduce to medium. Add cumin, salt and pepper to taste and stir to incorporate. Let simmer for five minutes then mash some of the beans against the side of the pot to thicken the dish. Add lime juice and cilantro and taste. Adjust seasonings as needed. I have found how much or little I have to season my black beans really depends on which brand I use. From the brands I have tried I like Goya or La Preferida the best.
Baked Tortillas:
Tortillas
Olive Oil
Line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil. Put your tortillas down on the sheet and add a small drizzle of olive oil to each and rub it around the tortilla making sure the entire thing is LIGHTLY covered with olive oil. Repeat on the other side.
Bake at 400 degrees for about 5 minutes then flip and check after 3 minutes. You want them to be crispy and slightly brown. I could've actually left mine in the oven a little longer but I was afraid of running out of time.
To assemble:
Place your beans on your baked tortillas then top with cheese and sit under the broiler until cheese it melted. Then add your chicken, salsa, lettuce, guacamole and maybe tomatoes or more salsa.
Eat. Enjoy.
Possible Additions:
Olives
Fresh, Cooked or Canned Jalapenos
Sour Cream
That's another thing. I have been reading up on food photography so that I can better convey the tastiness of my food. I am still really working at it and trying to become better as you can probably tell by the picture of the baked tostada shells below. I just have nowhere near grasped the ability to take a decent picture inside. Stick with me, I'll get it.
On to the food- This is a simple recipe. You will not feel one ounce of guilt for eating it. Baked shells and black beans step in for the standards of fried shells and refried beans and the hardest part is waiting for the chicken to cook. After that, it's basically an assembly line production of delicious ingredients that stir up a flavor party in your mouth. Yay!
You'll need:
Chicken (Marinade recipe below)
Black Beans (Preparation below)
Baked Tortillas (Directions below)
Lettuce (I used baby kale)
Fresh or Store bought Salsa (Wholly Salsa on my part)
Guacamole (Spicy Wholly Guacamole for us)
Shredded Cheese (Had "Mexican blend" in the fridge)
Corn Tortillas
Chicken Marinade:
1/3 cup lime juice (about 2 Limes)
1 Lemon
1/2 tsp Ground Cumin
1/2 tsp Hot Mexican Chili Powder
1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
1/2 tsp Onion Powder
1/2 tsp Kosher Salt
Fresh Ground Pepper
1/2 cup olive oil
2 lbs boneless chicken (I used thighs)
Add your seasonings to your fresh squeezed citrus juices and mix well. Then slowly add olive oil, stirring as you pour to incorporate. Pour over chicken and let marinate for at least 1 hour.
When finished marinating, cover chicken with aluminum foil and cook on 375 until juices run clear, maybe around 45 mins.
Black Beans:
1/4 cup Onion
2 cloves Garlic
1/2 tsp Cumin
Salt
Pepper
1 tbsp Cilantro
Juice from 1/2 a Lime
1 16 oz can black beans with 1/2 of liquid poured off
While the chicken is in the oven, saute' your onion and garlic for about 1 minute then add beans. Bring to a boil for around 2-3 minutes and then reduce to medium. Add cumin, salt and pepper to taste and stir to incorporate. Let simmer for five minutes then mash some of the beans against the side of the pot to thicken the dish. Add lime juice and cilantro and taste. Adjust seasonings as needed. I have found how much or little I have to season my black beans really depends on which brand I use. From the brands I have tried I like Goya or La Preferida the best.
Baked Tortillas:
Tortillas
Olive Oil
Line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil. Put your tortillas down on the sheet and add a small drizzle of olive oil to each and rub it around the tortilla making sure the entire thing is LIGHTLY covered with olive oil. Repeat on the other side.
Bake at 400 degrees for about 5 minutes then flip and check after 3 minutes. You want them to be crispy and slightly brown. I could've actually left mine in the oven a little longer but I was afraid of running out of time.
To assemble:
Place your beans on your baked tortillas then top with cheese and sit under the broiler until cheese it melted. Then add your chicken, salsa, lettuce, guacamole and maybe tomatoes or more salsa.
Eat. Enjoy.
Possible Additions:
Olives
Fresh, Cooked or Canned Jalapenos
Sour Cream
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