Butternut Squash and Chorizo Tostadas

Morita chiles are red, fully mature Chipotles. This gives them a unique, medium – hot smokey flavor which is popular in many Southwestern dishes. These can be added to sauces (including Mole) to add smokey flavor and maintain the red color of the sauces. These peppers are about 2-4 inches in length, 1 inch in width, and have a deep brick reddish brown color. The word Chipotle translated to smoked chile. Consider the Chipotle a 6.5 on a scale of 1-10 (10 being the hottest). Scoville heat units 7,000-25,000.

Suggested Use:
Use Morita in enchilada sauces, chili, stews, barbecue ribs, and corn bread. Their smoky quality combines well with poultry, meats and fall squash.

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Ingredients:

4 cups butternut squash (or pumpkin), peeled, seeded and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 tablespoon oil
1 teaspoon chipotle chili powder (grind dried pepper in coffee grinder till a fine powder)
1/2 teaspoon cumin, toasted and ground
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
salt to taste
1/2 tablespoon oil
1/2 pound chorizo, casings removed
1 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic
12 small corn tortillas
1 tablespoon oil
1 batch refried black beans
1/4 cup red onions, diced
1/4 cup queso fresco (or feta), crumbled
1/4 cup cilantro

Instructions:

Toss the squash in the oil, chili powder, cumin, cinnamon and salt, spread the mixture out in a single layer on a baking sheet and roast in a preheated 400F oven until the squash tender and just starts to caramelize on the edges, about 30-40 minutes. Heat the oil in a pan over medium heat.

Add the chorizo, cook until browned, about 10 minutes and set aside retaining a tablespoon of leftover oil/grease in the pan.

Add the onion and saute until tender, about 5-7 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about a minute.

Brush the tortillas lightly in oil and bake in a preheated 350F oven until golden brown and crispy, about 3-5 minutes per side.

Spread the refried beans over the top of the tortillas, sprinkle on the roast squash, chorizo, red onion, queso fresco and cilantro.

From closetcooking.com