Chicken Tomatillo Tostadas

Marthastewart.com

Ingredients

1 cup vegetable oil, for frying
6 to 12 small corn tortillas
Tomatillo Chicken*
Cabbage-Pepper Slaw**
Refried Black Beans***
Sour cream, for serving
Cilantro leaves, for serving
Cherry tomatoes, quartered, for serving
Grated queso fresco, for serving
Grated Monterey Jack cheese, for serving
Lime wedges, for serving

Directions

Heat vegetable oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat until it reaches 350 degrees on a deep-fry thermometer. Add tortillas to skillet, one at a time, and fry, turning once, until golden and crisp, about 1 minute per side. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate and set aside.

To serve, layer tostadas with chicken, slaw, and black beans. Garnish with sour cream, cilantro, tomatoes, queso fresco, and cheese. Serve with lime wedges.

*Tomatillo Chicken

ngredients

4 bone-in skin-on chicken breast halves
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 pounds tomatillos
2 serrano chiles
1/2 head garlic, unpeeled, cloves separated
1 large onion, quartered
2 small poblano peppers
1/2 bunch fresh cilantro
1/2 teaspoon cumin
Juice of 2 limes, plus more if desired
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Place chicken breast, skin side up, on a rimmed baking sheet; drizzle with olive oil and generously season with salt and pepper. Transfer to oven and bake for 40 minutes. (Chicken may not be cooked through.)

Remove from oven and let stand until cool enough to handle. Using your fingers or a fork, remove meat from bones and shred into large pieces; set meat aside, discarding bones.

Preheat broiler. Place tomatillos on a rimmed baking sheet. Place chiles, garlic, onion, and poblano peppers on another rimmed baking sheet. Transfer both baking sheets (one at a time, if necessary) to broiler and broil, turning once, until vegetables are charred and softened, about 10 minutes.

Transfer poblanos to a small bowl and cover with plastic wrap; let steam for 10 to 15 minutes. Let remaining vegetables cool slightly and peel garlic. Uncover poblanos and, using a paper towel, remove skins. Remove seeds and stems and coarsely chop. Transfer chopped poblanos to the jar of a blender along with tomatillos, chiles, garlic, onion, cilantro, cumin, and lime juice; blend until slightly smooth but a few chunks remain and season with salt and pepper.

Transfer pureed tomatillo mixture to a large saucepan and add reserved chicken; place over medium heat and simmer until chicken is no longer pink and completely warmed through. Season with salt and pepper and add more lime juice, if desired. Keep warm until ready to use.

**Cabbage Pepper Slaw

Ingredients

2 oranges
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoons sugar
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 head red cabbage, thinly sliced on a mandoline
1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, ribs removed, and julienned
1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves

Directions

Slice the top and bottom of both oranges with a paring knife. Set one of the flat sides on your work surface. From top to bottom, following the curve of the fruit, cut away peel and white pith. Trim off any remaining pith. Holding the orange over a bowl, cut along both sides of each segment, staying close to the membrane, to release. Repeat process with remaining orange; set segments aside.

In a large bowl whisk together vinegar and sugar until well combined. Slowly whisk in vegetable oil and season with salt and pepper. Add cabbage, pepper, orange segments, and cilantro; toss to coat. Keep slaw refrigerated until ready to use, up to 2 hours.

***Refried Black Beans

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 small onions, very finely chopped
1 dried bay leaf
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 teaspoon chili powder
3 cans black beans, drained and rinsed

Directions

In a medium saucepan, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onions and bay leaf; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, until onion is translucent, about 6 minutes. Add garlic and chili powder; cook, stirring, until garlic is softened and mixture is fragrant, about 3 minutes.

Remove bay leaf and discard. Add 2/3 of the black beans and stir to coat. Add 2/3 cup water and mash mixture using a potato masher. Add remaining black beans and stir to combine; add water, if necessary to thin. Season with salt and pepper and keep warm until ready to use.

caramel and chocolate drizzle chex mix

Caramel and Chocolate Drizzle Chex Mix

I'm a fan of food. Before my first semester of college, I experimented with baking and tried out some new things. One of those new things was homemade Caramel and Chocolate Drizzle Chex Mix (yes, I did just make that name up.) It's one of the recipes I've since repeated and still enjoy. I followed their recipe just for the caramel part and added in the chocolatey goodness.

Ingredients:
8 cups of Chex
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
6 tablespoons butter or margarine (but we all know butter tastes better)
3 tablespoons light corn syrup
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
Chocolate, however much and whatever kind is up to you but you can start with 1/4 of a cup

*You should have a cookie sheet lined with wax paper set aside along with the 8 cups of Chex in a microwaveable bowl.

Here's how we make the deliciousness! In a 2-cup microwaveable measuring cup (or a bowl), microwave brown sugar, butter and corn syrup uncovered on high for 1-2 minutes. Stir after every 1 minute, until melted and smooth. Stir in baking soda until dissolved. Pour over cereal and stir. This is sticky and won't cover everything but don't worry! Take the bowl of coated cereal and microwave on high for 3 minutes, also stirring after every 1 minute. I found that using 2 wooden spoons, greased, helped mix everything and reduced spilling. Now spread the evenly coated Chex onto the cookie sheet lined with wax paper. Spread out the pieces to avoid large clumps. Break apart any large clumps.

In a small microwaveable bowl, heat the chocolate. Either dip the pieces in or drizzle over cereal with a spoon. Let everything set and cool. Then, enjoy!

(This is dipped instead of drizzle)