Tomato and Corn Tostadas with Baked Eggs

“Your tastes will change as you get older.” One of those oft repeated and eternally true pieces of parental wisdom imparted to me by my mother that crosses my mind on an almost daily basis. Though I certainly don’t think I was at the extremely picky side of the spectrum, neither could it be said that I had an adventurous palate as a child. Though that was in part because of my fairly standard upbringing with not a huge range of foods offered to me, I marvel at the things I disliked as a kid. The one that seems most unfathomable to me now – Mexican food. Sure, I ate tacos made with the grocery store seasoning packets, but that was about it. The idea of anything involving beans of any kind or Mexican spices was an definite no for me.

All I can say is, I am so so glad I have managed to avoid a similar situation with my own kids. The very mention of beans, tortillas, or Mexican anything elicits cheers of excitement. They are well versed in the differences between tacos, quesadillas, enchiladas, burritos, and more. Our absolute favorite local restaurant has the best Mexican and Latin cuisine, and they love it almost as much as I do. When I informed them we were having tostadas with beans, corn, tomatoes and a runny egg on top, they were totally pumped. Because, just like me, they know that almost any meal is better with a runny egg on top. This meal can be made healthier if you choose to crisp the tortillas in the oven rather than fry them but for me, this is one instance when frying is worth it. And definitely make the tortillas from scratch – fresh tortillas are always worth the extra effort!

Yield about 4 servings

Ingredients

12 oz. grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
¾ cup fresh or thawed frozen corn
½ yellow onion, sliced thin
7 tbsp. vegetable oil, divided
2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
2 tsp. minced chipotle in adobo sauce
¼ tsp. dried oregano
½ tsp. ground cumin
¼ tsp. ground coriander
Salt and pepper
4 corn tortillas
4 large eggs
½ cup refried beans, warmed
1-2 oz. cotija or queso fresco, crumbled
2-3 tbsp. minced fresh cilantro

Directions

01
Heat the oven to 500˚ F and position a rack in the middle. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil. In a mixing bowl, combine the tomatoes, corn, onion, 1 tablespoon of the oil, garlic, chipotle, oregano, cumin, and coriander. Season well with salt and pepper. Toss until well combined, then spread evenly on the prepared baking sheet. Roast, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are softened and beginning to shrivel, 10-15 minutes. Remove from the oven.
02
Meanwhile, use the tines of a fork to poke the center of each tortilla a few times to prevent puffing during cooking. Heat the remaining 6 tablespoons of oil in a small cast iron skillet over medium heat to 350˚ F. Line a second baking sheet with layers of paper towels. Add one tortilla at a time to the pan with the oil and fry, holding down in the oil, until crisp and lightly browned, 45-60 seconds. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining tortillas. Sprinkle lightly with salt.
03
Use a spoon to make 4 indentations in the vegetable mixture. Crack 1 egg into each indentation and season the eggs with salt and pepper. Bake until the whites are just set and the yolks are still runny, 5-7 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through baking.
04
Spread 2 tablespoons of the beans over each tortilla. Top with the vegetables and an egg. Garnish with crumbled cotija or queso fresco and cilantro. Serve immediately.

Source

slightly adapted from Best Mexican Recipes from America’s Test Kitchen