Chesapeake Tostadas
April 28, 2020 by Nicole Collins
I am so tired of rain!
Like, SOOOOOOOOOO tired of doom and gloom and grey skies and torrential downpours.
I know that April showers bring May flowers and all, but it’s been raining for like a year and a half straight in Maryland.
Usually by this time of year, I get to turn the heat off. I get to open the windows. I get to start the lawn chore season. Spring is usually my favorite time of year.
But, the constant rain and endless grey is starting to get out of hand.
It’s been so cold that I’ve actually shivered myself to sleep the past few nights (under 3 doggies, fleece sheets, and a thick comforter). And, don’t even get me started on my back yard. I’ll now be offering riverboat rides from one side of my yard to another; because my yard is so saturated, it’s nothing but mud puddles with standing water.
And guess which puppy LOVES to jump in mud puddles EVERY SINGLE TIME he goes outside?
So, if I don’t get some sunshine and blue skies and bright spring colors in my life soon, it’s not going to be pretty.
To try to salvage my mental health during these really difficult times in the world, I can always turn to food. I can put my bright colors and summer flavors and all my favorite things right on to the plate to help cheer me up. And, that’s exactly what we’re doing today.
So today, we’re making Chesapeake Tostadas!
You guys know I love my Maryland flavors; and even though I’ve just spent the past few paragraphs venting about my hometown, I’ll always be pulled out of a funk with a little seafood and Old Bay.
There are a few components to today’s recipe: the shell, the guac, the salsa, the meat, and the crema. But once we have all of our components assembled, it’s as easy as pile up and go!
Let’s starts with the shell. In the spirit of summer and lighter eating, we’re going to bake our white corn tortilla to get our crispy tostada shell. Typically these shells would be fried, but you can get just as nice of a crunch from baking while saving a ton of calories. Spritz with olive oil, dust with Old Bay, bake, and done!
The next layer is our avocado layer. It’s really as simple as mashing some perfectly ripe avocados with a little salt and lemon juice, and bam…layer 2 is done!
Next up is our corn salsa layer. Even though it’s not sweet corn season here yet, I found some corn on the cob that I roasted in the oven to get perfectly succulent kernels. But, if you don’t have corn on the cob available yet, frozen corn that’s been thawed would totally work too. To the corn, we add some diced tomato, red onion, and a little parsley. Toss everything together, and done!
To finish our tostadas, we need the star of the show: lump crab meat. Before the world shut down, my dear friend, Kathy, found an incredible deal on some jumbo lump crab meat. She was kind enough to share the wealth, and that’s how I ended up with these huge nuggets of sweet crab. You could also use regular lump crab or even some cooked shrimp instead. A nice white fish would be nice here too. Just stay away from the canned stuff. The crab is the hero here, so we need to make sure we’re using the good stuff if we can. Regardless, the seafood gets tossed in just a little bit of Old Bay for extra flavor, then piled on top of the rest of our tostada goodness.
Now, you can’t have tostadas without crema, right? So, we’re going to make a quick Old Bay crema from mayo, greek yogurt, lemon, and Old Bay to squeeze on top of our stacks of deliciousness. Mix, throw in a squeeze bottle if you’re feeling fancy, and drizzle that baby right on top. Done, done, and done!
The end result is a mix of flavors, textures, and temperatures that really hits the spot. Every bite is so bright and refreshing and alive. It could cure even the gloomiest day. I mean, sweet crab, creamy avocado, fresh salsa, and a warm crunchy shell…tell me something that sounds better than that.
Ok everyone…thanks for letting me get my gloomies out today. Cheers to sunny days ahead!
Enjoy, and let’s eat!
Chesapeake Tostadas
Serves: 4 Print
Ingredients:
For the Tostadas:
8 white corn tortillas
olive oil cooking spray
½ tsp Old Bay seasoning
For the Corn Salsa:
1 ear corn, roasted and kernels cut from cob
1 roma tomato, diced
2 tbsp red onion, minced
1 tbsp parsley, chopped
1 tbsp lemon juice
salt, to taste
For the Old Bay Crema:
¼ cup plain nonfat Greek yogurt
2 tbsp mayonnaise
½ tsp Old Bay seasoning
1/8 tsp garlic powder
For the Tostada:
2 avocados, mashed
2 tbsp lemon juice
salt, to taste
1 lb lump crab meat
Old Bay seasoning, to taste
Directions:
Make the Old Bay Crema: To a mixing bowl, add greek yogurt, mayonnaise, ½ tsp Old Bay, and garlic powder. Stir well to combine. Set aside in the fridge to chill.
Make the Corn Salsa: To another mixing bowl, add corn, tomatoes, red onion, parsley, 1 tbsp lemon juice, and salt, to taste. Toss to combine. Set aside.
Make the Tostada Shells: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil. Arrange tortillas in a single layer. Lightly spray tortillas with olive oil cooking spray, and season with ¼ tsp Old Bay. Flip, spray the other side with olive oil cooking spray, and season with remaining ¼ tsp Old Bay. Bake for 8 minutes. Flip, and bake for another 3-4 mins until shells are crispy and just starting to brown. Remove from oven, and set aside.
Assemble the Tostadas: In a mixing bowl, combine mashed avocado, 2 tbsp lemon juice, and salt, to taste. Evenly divide and spread mashed avocado between each tostada shell. Top with crab meat that's been tossed in a dusting of Old Bay (about 1/8 tsp), corn salsa, and a drizzle of Old Bay crema. Serve immediately.
Recipe notes:
*To roast an ear of corn, line a baking sheet with aluminum foil, and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place corn still in the husk on the baking sheet. Roast for 30 mins. Remove from oven, and allow to cool. When cool enough to touch, peel off husk, and cut the kernels off the cob.
*These tostadas can be made ahead! Just store the tostada shells in an airtight bag after you bake them, and store the crab and salsa separately in the fridge. Mash the avocado and assemble when you're ready to eat!
*You don't have to line your pan with aluminum foil, but it makes for easy cleanup!
*Definitely get fresh crab meat, if you can, as opposed to the stuff you buy in a can. The quality and taste is substantially different.
