Chicken Tostada Salad

This recipe comes from the May 2010 issue of Everyday Food.  I made this meal around Cinco de Mayo ( I know, I know! I'm sorry I'm just posting it now). Tostada is exactly what it sounds like, a toasted tortilla. The tostada serves as the crunchy shell to this very simple salad. This was a very tasty and simple meal to prepare. Next time I'll make a lime vinaigrette to go with the salad. I didn't think there was enough flavor from the lime juice alone. It was a bit too dry.

Ingredients: 

4 corn tortillas

3 tablespoons of olive oil

3/4 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese

1/2 small red onion, diced

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1 garlic clove, minced

breast meat from 1 rotisserie chicken, torn into bite-sized pieces

coarse salt and ground pepper

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon fresh lime juice

1/2 head romaine lettuce

1 tomato, seeded and chopped

1 avocado, halved, pitted, peeled, and diced

fresh cilantro

1. Preheat oven to 400. Brush each side of the tortillas with olive oil. Bake for 10 minutes. Divide cheese among tortillas and return to oven until cheese is bubbling, about 3 minutes. 

2. In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium high. Add half the red onion and cook until softened. Add chili powder and garlic and cook until fragrant, 30 seconds. Add chicken and 1/4 cup of water and season with salt and pepper. Cook for 2  minutes. Stir in 1 teaspoon lime juice and remove from heat. 

3. In a large bowl combine lettuce and 1 tablespoon lime juice; season with salt and pepper. Toss well to coat and divide among tortillas. Top each with chicken mixture, tomato, avocado, remaining onion, and cilantro.