"Dinner Party 1954" by Amara (MsBlueSky on Flickr)
Dinner Parties were all the rage in the 50’s and 60’s… and they still are today! Well, at least in my home they are. I’ll be having an intimate dinner party for 5 this weekend and want to give my guests something to talk about until my next shin dig. As for my readers, I’ll be giving you a Dinner Party series starting with 1 of 3 appetizers: Tostaditas!
Tostadas are traditionally fried corn tortillas topped with refried beans, lettuce, tomato and cheese. You can also add just about anything else you can pile on without that baby toppling over. For this intimate affair I’ll be serving traditional mini tostadas – tostaditas – with red and green tomatoes for a fresh and light, bite sized crunch.
Here’s what you’ll need:
2 corn tortillas
1/8 cup and 1 1/2 cups separated vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups frijoles de la olla (beans from the pot) or 1 can pinto beans with liquid
1/4 tsp onion powder
1 cup shredded lettuce
1 cup queso fresco or shredded mozzarella
1 cup fresh diced red tomatoes
1 cup fresh diced green tomatoes
Optional: cilantro for garnish
Optional: sour cream to garnish or dollop on top
salt and pepper to taste
Directions
1. Preheat 1 1/2 cups vegetable oil over medium high heat.
2. While oil is heating, using a small, round cookie cutter, punch out three small discs from each corn tortilla.
3. Fry each tortilla disc until golden brown and place on a plate lined with paper towels to absorb excess oil and set aside.
4. Using a clean pan, heat 1/8 cup vegetable oil. When oil is ready (try this trick to test the oil) add pinto beans, onion powder and a pinch of salt. Stir and allow to cook.
5. When dry bubbles start to form around the pan, using a potato masher, mash the beans to a smooth but still textured consistency, like lumpy mashed potatoes. Heat for about 5 more minutes.
This is what they should end up looking like.
6. Take about a tablespoon of beans and spread over your mini tortilla discs.
7. Add lettuce, crumbled queso fresco or shredded cheese, tomatoes and a dash of salt and pepper. Garnish with a sprig of cilantro and sour cream.
8. Enjoy these awesome, bite-sized tostaditas with some good wine and even better company!
Stay tuned for some more Mexican inspired appetizers in this Dinner Party series.
Happy eating!
Hey Daddy-O What's Cookin'? 
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