A Taste of the Past

Growing up in the South Bay, we had this favorite Mexican restaurant we used to go to that made the best tostadas.  It was the combination of the thinly shredded lettuce, the chicken that sprinkled on top and the homemade dressing was the ultimate.  Unfortunately, we moved and the owners sold the place...it just wasn't the same.  This tostada is just a taste of my childhood that I have been meaning to recreate.  It had to look the same, taste the same and bring back the same memories that I shared with my family at Arturo's in Harbor City.

After some research online about traditional Mexican salad dressings and the ingredients used, I managed to come up with something really similar.  I knew that it consisted of three main ingredients: Oil, Red Wine Vinegar and Sugar.  After looking at some recipes for things that seemed similar, I decided that I was right, but other people had also used Apple Cider Vinegar, Honey, Olive Oil and Water.  I had to try it a couple different ways to make sure, after all, it has been at least 10 years since I last ate this!  

Tostada Salad

A Recreation from Arturo's

Ingredients

1 head Iceberg Lettuce, shredded very thin

4 Chicken Breasts, roasted simply with Salt and Pepper, shredded

1/2 cup Black Olives, sliced

1 cup Red Onion, diced

1 cup Tomatoes, diced

4 dollops Sour Cream (I used non-fat Greek Yogurt)

1 Avocado, sliced

1/4 cup Red Salsa, Mild

1 can Refried Beans (I used the Vegetarian kind, but you could use what you want)

1/2 cup Red Wine Vinegar

1/4 cup Vegetable Oil

4 tablespoons Sugar

Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions

In a small pot heat up the refried beans until heated evenly.  Spread an equal amount of the beans on the 4 plates in the middle.  Top with a mound of lettuce.  Sprinkle tomatoes, black olives, red onion over lettuce.  In the middle top with one shredded chicken breast per plate.  One dollop of sour cream over chicken, then 1 tablespoon of salsa and 2 slices of avocado per plate.  

Combine red wine vinegar, oil and sugar in a small bowl and whisk till combined.  If you have a small squeeze bottle pour the mixture inside so you can shake the dressing easily.  Otherwise, just drizzle from the bowl over the salads and serve!  

I hope you enjoy this taste from my past!  When you start eating the salad you get little bites of beans, lettuce chicken and all the other things mixed together.  The dressing really completes the whole thing.  

What is your favorite food memory from your childhood?