Sunday, February 13, 2011

Tostadas or Tacos with Carrots


One of my favorite recipes! I copied this down from my friend, Obdulia, who I worked with in the hospital kitchen. Sitting in the cafeteria in our blue hairnets, we would eat lunch, and it was always something we brought from home. For reasons I will not expound on, the kitchen food was just not all that appetizing. Even as a mother of three little ones, though, she managed to cook the night before and bring leftovers. She went over the ingredients with me, and though there are no concrete measurements, you can't really mess this one up.   


Sean and I ate this after a 24 mile bike ride. It was so delicious! Maybe I was just really hungry, but I doubt it. San Luis Obispo has been having absolutely lovely weather recently.

I am a bit of an overachiever here. I made and fried up my own corn tortillas. Well, Sean made them, actually. Kudos to him. But really, just buy a few corn tortillas, or you can buy the crunchy tostadas, like Obdulia used to.



              
    Tostadas or Tacos with Carrots
   
               2 or 3 carrots, grated
               1 jalapeño, chopped fine
               1/4 cup onion, chopped fine
               Juice of a lime or lemon
               Juice of an orange
               Salt and pepper to taste
               1 or 2 tomatoes, chopped
               1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped (optional)
               1 or 2 tomatillos, chopped (optional) 
               Queso fresco
               Black or pinto beans (optional)
               Tostadas or Corn Tortillas
If you have corn tortillas, fry them up in a little olive oil until they are a little crispy.
In a bowl, mix all the ingredients, from the carrots to the tomatillos. The beans are optional but if you are having them, heat them up. At the table, you can assemble them, tostada on othe bottom, a few beans, a heaping spoon of the carrot mixture, and queso fresco crumbled on top!