Taco Tuesday! Who doesn’t love tacos? Believe it or not, when I was a kid I did NOT like Mexican food. Yes, you read that right. I hated it! Here’s why.

My mom made burritos one night for supper (I’m from Iowa. We call it supper :) ). She had never made burritos prior to that that I can recall. I’m not sure why, but I got sick that night. And I swore it was from the burritos! So I avoided Mexican food for years after that. Has anyone else ever had gotten the stomach flu or food poisoning after eating a food and now have an aversion to it? Sometimes it’s even to a food that used to be a favorite, right? Such a bummer!

So my family would go to a Mexican restaurant and I would have nachos. I can’t quite remember exactly when, but I eventually got sick of hearing people rave about Mexican food. I decided to give it another whirl. Boy am I glad I did! Mexican food is now one of my favorite cuisines to prepare and eat!! And now that I live in Denver, I get to eat authentic Mexican food! And I’ve built up my tolerance to heat and spice (in the midwest, black pepper can be considered spicy! HA!). Colorado also introduced me to delicious green chili! I remember the first time I had a Santiago’s burrito. My co-workers all got medium for the heat/spiciness level. So I did too. WRONG thing to do a girl fresh from Iowa! It was sooooo spicy! But now I love the heat from the green chiles!!

So today I bring you one of my favorite Mexican inspired dishes from The Defined Dish. This is actually a tostada - Tostada Tuesday?? - that is so easy to make! I love to grab a rotisserie chicken or two from the store to use for meals throughout the week and/or freeze and excess for another week when I feel like making these tostadas again. (I also use the carcass from the chicken to make my own bone broth and freeze. It’s SOOO much more affordable!) Using a Siete tortilla, this gluten-free/corn-free/grain-free recipe can accommodate most dietary restrictions if needed.

I had some fermented radishes in my fridge that I threw on top of mine for an additional probiotic benefit. The leftovers I used for breakfast on the weekend. Just throw an over-easy egg on one of these. DELICIOUS!

Rotisserie Chicken Tostadas with Pickled Onions

INGREDIENTS:

FOR THE QUICK PICKLED ONIONS:

• 1 small red onion, sliced thin
• 3/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp peppercorns
• 1/2 tsp coriander seeds

FOR THE CHICKEN:

• 3 cups shredded rotisserie chicken or any cooked, shredded chicken
• 2 tbsp ghee
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 4 oz chopped green chilis from a can
• 1/3 cup chicken broth, low sodium
• kosher salt, to taste
• black pepper, to taste

FOR THE TOSTADAS:

• 8 tsp olive oil
• 6 grain-free tortillas (I prefer Siete cassava flour tortillas) *see notes for other cooking methods
• 1 cup store-bought or homemade guacamole
• 2 cups romaine lettuce, thinly sliced or 1 small head
• 1 tbsp cilantro, chopped
• 1 lime, sliced into wedges

INSTRUCTIONS

For the Quick Pickled Onions:

Place sliced onions in a large bowl and cover in hot water for 5 minutes (this takes out the bite in the onions).

Meanwhile, in a jar or bowl large enough for all the onions, whisk together the apple cider vinegar, kosher salt, peppercorns, and coriander seeds, until all the salt has dissolved.

When the onions are done soaking, drain the onions and combine the brine with onions. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving. (These can keep in the fridge for at least two weeks but I prefer to use mine within a week.)

For the Chicken:

Heat a skillet over medium-high heat and melt ghee.

When ghee is melted, add the spices. Gently toast, stirring occasionally until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add tomato paste and cook, stirring, until well combined, about 1 minute. Add the shredded chicken and toss to combine.

Add the chopped green chilis and chicken broth. Bring mixture to a simmer and let cook until the broth is absorbed into the chicken. Taste and add more salt and pepper to taste if desired.

For the Tostadas:

Heat a skillet over medium heat and add 1 tsp of oil per tortilla. Add tortilla to skillet and cook, flipping every 2 minutes, until tortilla is crisp all over, 5 to 6 minutes total. Place each crispy tortilla on a wire rack and set aside as continue until all tostadas are crisp.

To assemble-- Spread guacamole on the bottom of each tostada. Top with romaine, shredded chicken, cilantro, and the quick pickled onions. Serve with a wedge of lime. Enjoy!

Find the original recipe post here.