Lee Clayton Roper came up with this dish after attending a benefit dinner with her husband: “I noticed that most of the bread baskets on the tables were close to full, so to Robert’s embarrassment, I filled my purse and the pockets of his tuxedo with the leftover tortillas. … You don’t have to rob a bread basket for your tortillas — they taste good with store-bought, too.” From “A Well-Seasoned Kitchen,” serves 4 (2 tostadas per person).
Ingredients
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil, divided
8 corn tortillas (best if you can find homemade)
1 cup sliced mushrooms
3/4 cup sliced yellow onion
4 teaspoons Mexican seasoning (or more to taste)
24 ounces small shrimp (not cocktail size)
1/2 cup salsa-flavored cream cheese (available at Whole Foods; if you don’t have it in your area, you can substitute plain cream cheese spread in a tub or mix together 1/2 cup cream cheese spread with 1 tablespoon of salsa)
1/2 cup prepared guacamole
1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack or other mild, white cheese
1/2 cup purchased chunky-style salsa
1 cup shredded lettuce
Directions
Heat 1/4 cup olive oil in a small skillet over high heat until very hot. Add one corn tortilla and cook until starting to crisp (about 1 minute); use tongs and turn over. Cook just until crispy. Place on paper towel to drain. Repeat with remaining tortillas.
Heat the remaining 1/4 cup olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat until hot. Add the mushrooms and onion; stir in Mexican seasoning. Cook, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms and onion are soft. Stir in shrimp and cook just until the shrimp are heated through and seasoned. Add more Mexican seasoning and salt to taste.
While the mushroom and onion mixture is cooking, spread 1 tablespoon of the cream cheese on each cooked tortilla. Top with 1 tablespoon of the guacamole. When the mushrooms, onion and shrimp are done, divide evenly on top of each tortilla. Top each with shredded cheese, salsa and lettuce.
Note: To make your own Mexican seasoning, combine 1/2 cup chili powder, 1/4 cup paprika, 2 tablespoons ground cumin, 2 teaspoons garlic powder, 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Store in an airtight jar.
