Chickpea-Chipotle 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.
Ingredients:
Tostados:
vegetable oil
12 corn tortillas
Topping:
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1-1/2 (15 oz.) cans chickpeas, rinsed and drained*
1 cup chicken broth
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro
2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, minced
1/2 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
Garnish:
1 (8 oz.) container sour cream
1/2 cup salsa verde or green chile sauce
1/2 head iceberg lettuce, shredded
6 plum tomatoes, chopped
5 oz. reduced-fat feta cheese, crumbled
Instructions:
To prepare the tostados:
Pour oil to a depth of 2 inches into a large skillet. Heat to 375F and fry the tortillas, 1 at a time, over medium-high heat for 30 seconds on each side or until crisp and lightly browned. Drain the tostados and keep warm.
To prepare the chickpea mixture:
Saute the onion, bell pepper, and garlic in hot olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat for 5 minutes or until tender. Add the chickpeas and the next 4 ingredients, then bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
Process the chickpea mixture in a food processor or with a hand blender until smooth. Return the mixture to the skillet and simmer, stirring occasionally, until very thick. Stir in the lime juice, and cook for 2-3 minutes.
Stir together sour cream and salsa.
Spread the chickpea mixture evenly over the tortillas and top evenly with the lettuce and tomato. Drizzle with the sour cream mixture, and sprinkle with cheese. Serve immediately.
Yields 6 servings.
Recipe from Southern Living Magazine, March 2001.