Chicken and Mushroom Tostadas

Trivia question: What’s my favorite type of food? If you guessed Mexican, then you’re correct. I’m always trying to come up with different Tex Mex and Mexican dishes as I play with peppers, tomatoes, tortillas, and spices. Mexican food is always so flavorful and packed with heat, all of which keep me coming back for more and experimenting all the time.

While I was in line at the grocery store, I came across an Ultimate Mexican cooking magazine which was produced by Better Homes and Gardens. After flipping through this magazine for a few minutes, I knew it was coming home with me. As soon as I got home I sat down and flipped through recipe after delicious recipe. The magazine included everything I love about Mexican cuisine and the photos were mouth-watering. I jotted down a few notes and marked a couple recipes that I wanted to try.

Last night, since I was eating solo for dinner, I decided to experiment with one of the recipes in the magazine: Portobello-Poblano Tostadas. I bought all of the ingredients, returned home and, while munching on chips and salsa and enjoying a glass of wine, I played with the ingredients. After plating my creation, I knew something didn’t look right. After I took my first bite, I realized that I had experienced a cooking fail. That’s right, after all of my excitement about the magazine, the recipe turned out to be a major flop.

This afternoon, with a lot of the ingredients still in my refrigerator, I took the recipe upon my own hands and turned my kitchen into a test kitchen. After experimenting with techniques and flavors, I finally came up with my own rendition. The results between the two dishes were night and day and I cannot wait to make it again…for dinner…tonight.

Chicken and Mushroom Tostadas

Servings: 3 Tostadas

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 3 6-inch corn tortillas
• Salt
• 1/2 pound Portobello mushrooms, roughly chopped
• 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1/4 cup corn
• 1 cup shredded chicken (I use Rotisserie chicken)
• Salt and pepper
• 1/4 cup shredded Manchego cheese
• Salt and pepper (to taste)
• Chopped lettuce (optional)
• Salsa (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Prepare a baking sheet by placing a cooling rack over the top. This cooling rack will allow air to circulate under the tortillas as they bake.
2. Lightly brush the tortillas on both sides with canola oil. Sprinkle lightly with salt. Place on the cooling rack/baking sheet and bake for 5 minutes or until the tortillas are wavy and slightly browned. Remove from the oven.
3. Pour the left over oil into a sauce pan and heat. Add the mushrooms and pepper and saute for approximately three minutes. Add the garlic, corn, and chicken. Heat thoroughly. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat.
4. Top the tortillas with the mushroom and pepper mixture. Sprinkle the top with cheese. Bake for an additional minute to melt the cheese.
5. Serve warm with lettuce and salsa and toppings.

The biggest mistake? Frying the tortillas in oil. I’ve never been good at this. Instead, I baked the tortillas and the result was a crunchy crust that complemented the flavors perfectly.

Even though the first recipe I tried from the magazine was a flop, I can’t wait to try more. I’m just a little obsessed with this magazine.

What is your favorite Mexican dish?

This post was not sponsored. The cooking flop and opinions were all my own.