Tostadas and Homemade Corn Tortillas

Ryan grew up with Tostadas as a weekly family tradition.  They were inexpensive, easy and reasonably nutritious.  In this video, Ryan shares his memories on this simple dish and why it’s so important to him.

How to Make Tostadas

Tostadas definitely vary from house to house, but the general concept is piling up toppings on a crispy corn tortilla.  You can buy pre-made corn tortillas and fry them up, but I especially like the texture and flavor of homemade corn tortillas.  Too, they only require two ingredients: masa harina and water.

how to make tostadas

We take you step by step for the corn tortillas in the video.  They do take extra work but are worth the extra flavor.

Black Beans

As for the beans, I love making them in the pressure cooker.  The detailed recipe is below, but one note is to make a personal decision on the level of spice.  I use dried chiles de arbol in my beans, but if you’re not a fan of spice, go for some mild diced green chiles instead.

black beans

Pico de Gallo

In addition to a nice funky cotija cheese (a fresh Mexican cheese) I also like adding pico de gallo.  Loads of fresh veggies, finished with some lime juice and avocado oil.

pico de galls

Thanks for pulling up a seat at our table and enjoying our family tradition.  Have a family recipe you want to share?  Leave a comment!  I’d love to hear about it.

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homemade tostadas

Homemade Corn Tortillas


  • Author: Joanie Simon
  • Total Time: 1 hour 5 mins
  • Yield: 2 dozen tortillas 1x

Description

An easy recipe for homemade corn tortillas.


Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 cups masa harina
  • 2 cups water

Instructions

  1. Combine masa harina and water in a large bowl and mix until a ball forms. If it’s sticky, add more masa. If it’s crumbly, add more water.
  2. Knead the dough for 4 to 5 minutes. You can’t overwork it!
  3. Heat a clean, dry skillet over medium high heat.
  4. Take a small, ping pong ball sized piece of dough from the larger dough ball, roll and flatten with your hands. If you have a tortilla press, use as directed. If you don’t have a press, get a piece of wax paper and position the dough ball on it and fold the other half of the piece of wax paper over the top, so that the dough is covered on top and bottom.
  5. Roll out into a circular shape with a rolling pin until desired thickness. It should be thin but still opaque when held up.
  6. Place the pressed tortilla into the heated skillet/pan and cook 45 to 60 seconds per side. It should release steam from the tortilla and cause it to puff up, but not burn.
  7. If you are doing tacos, keep them covered with a towel to keep them moist and warm.
  8. If you are making tostadas, put them one at a time into 375F vegetable oil and fry 90 seconds per side, or until fully crisped.
  9. Place fried tortillas on a paper towel to remove excess oil.
  • Prep Time: 45 mins
  • Cook Time: 20 mins
  • Category: Bread
  • Cuisine: Mexican
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homemade tostadas

Pico de Gallo


  • Author: Joanie Simon
  • Total Time: 15 mins
  • Yield: 2 cups 1x

Description

A fresh and easy way to make pico de gallo.


Ingredients

Scale
  • 3 medium tomatoes, diced
  • 1 red bell pepper, diced
  • 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • juice 2 limes
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 Tbs avocado or olive oil

Instructions

  1. Combine all ingredients in a bowl and toss. Add more salt to taste.
  • Prep Time: 15 mins
  • Category: condiment
  • Cuisine: Mexican
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homemade tostadas

Spicy Black Beans


  • Author: Joanie Simon
  • Total Time: 3 hours 10 mins
  • Yield: 12 - 15 servings 1x

Description

An easy way to make black beans with a spicy flair for a side dish or tostadas.


Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 lb dried black beans
  • 3 + cups water
  • 3 cloves garlic crushed and minced
  • 46 dried Chiles de Arbol crushed
  • 1 Tbs cumin
  • 1 Tbs paprika
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • ¼ cup oil
  • additional water
  • *optional 1 Tbs minced chipotle pepper in adobo sauce

Instructions

  1. Place dried black beans in a bowl and fill with water until the beans are covered and soak for at least 2 hours.
  2. Place the beans and the water in a pressure cooker with garlic, chiles, cumin, paprika and salt and cook on high for 8 minutes.
  3. Quick release the pressure on the Instant Pot, remove the lid and change the setting to “saute”. Add in the oil and (and chipotles if you’re adding them) mash some of the beans with the back of a spatula or spoon to make a creamy consistency, while still keeping a lot of the beans whole. Simmer uncovered until the beans thicken, then serve.
  • Prep Time: 10 mins
  • Cook Time: 3 hours
  • Category: Side
  • Cuisine: Mexican

 

 

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