Chicken Tostadas with Grilled Corn, Tomatoes and Poblanos

Another meal entirely from the grill.  This is a healthy way to make “tostadas” because the tortillas are warmed or crisped on the grill instead of fried.  I put this recipe together last night using a few simple ingredients I had on hand.  Enjoy!

Chicken Tostadas with Grilled Corn, Tomatoes and Poblanos
(2 servings)

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
¼ red onion, cut into 1” chunks
10 grape tomatoes
1 poblano pepper, cut into 1” chunks
1 ear of corn, washed, with silks removed but husks left on
½ cup grated queso campesino from Oaxaxa (or other freshly grated white Mexican cheese)
4 corn tortillas
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro, plus a couple sprigs for garnish
lime wedges for garnish
olive oil
soy sauce
seasoned salt (such as Lawry’s)
salt and pepper

Preheat grill to high heat.

Brush the corn kernels with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Re-cover the kernels with the remaining husk leaves.  Grill for 20-25 minutes, turning every 5 minutes. Remove from the grill and slice the kernels off the cob.

Toss onions, tomatoes and poblano pieces with olive oil and a dash of seasoned salt.  Place the vegetables on a large grill skewer and grill over high heat, turning frequently, until roasted (about 10 minutes).  Removc vegetables from skewer,  slice tomatoes in half and chop the onions and poblano into bite-sized pieces or smaller.

Season the chicken breasts with olive oil, a dash of soy sauce and some seasoned salt.  Grill until done, approximately 10 minutes, turning once.  Remove from grill, let rest for a few minutes, and slice the chicken breasts crosswise into thin slices or bite-sized chunks.

Place the tortillas in the warming rack of the grill until warm (1-2 minutes), or if you like them a little bit crispy, put them directly on the grill and flip them as soon as each side gets a little brown.

In a medium bowl, toss grilled corn, grilled tomatoes, onions and poblanos, and chopped cilantro.

To assemble tostadas, place tortillas on each plate.  Add a layer of chicken, then the vegetable mixture, and top with the shredded Oaxaca cheese.  Garnish with cilantro sprigs and lime and serve with salsa on the side to add to taste.

It’s fine to see a little bit of color on the outside of your corn — in fact, it’s good.  This caramelization from the grill adds a great smoky-sweet flavor.

Ok, so this picture of the vegetables grilling didn’t come out as well as I’d hoped.  But you get the idea.

Here are the roasted vegetables before I chopped them into smaller pieces for the tostadas.

This is the corn-vegetable-cilantro mixture that will be layered onto the tortillas with the chicken and cheese.

The grilled chicken, sliced up and ready to go.  Easy.

And the queso campesino from Oaxaca.  Those of you lucky enough to live in New Mexico can probably get it a lot cheaper.  I feel kind of dumb for paying $9.99/lb.– must not have been paying attention at the store.  Some crumbly queso fresco or feta would also be great here.

And voila, the assembled tostadas.  It’s nice to have a little salsa on the table to add to these.  On the side, I served a  Green Mango salad from Food and Wine  — it’s a delicious (and healthy) combination of mangos, jalapeños, sweet onions and lime juice.

Reader's Comments

1. 

   […] is a nice fresh side for a summer dinner.  I served it tonight with a recipe I put together of chicken tostadas with grilled corn, poblanos, and tomatoes. Posted in Fast, Healthy Tagged with food and wine, fruit salads, jalapeno, lime, mango, onion, […]
2. Green Mango Salad » Recipe Mashups on 10 Jun 2009 6:36 am