Chicken Tostadas with Cilantro Lime Drizzle

Recently I've had a culinary block and can't seem to figure out what to make for dinner. Hot weather deters me from some of my favorite baked pasta dishes and soups. This past weekend, I had Bob choose some dinners out of my saved recipes from other cooking blogs. His first pick was this recipe for Chicken Tostadas. I was excited for two reasons: 1) the tostadas are served with a cilantro lime ranch drizzle which sounded amazing, and 2) it gave me an excuse to whip up a batch of delicious homemade salsa! We both loved this dinner and will make it again!

Chicken Tostadas with Cilantro Lime Drizzle

Ingredients:

For the tostadas:

1 boneless, skinless chicken breast, shredded (see method below)

6-inch corn or flour tortillas

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained (optional) 

Suggested toppings:  diced plum/Roma tomato, shredded Romaine lettuce, shredded cheese, light sour cream, salsa  

For the Cilantro Lime Drizzle:

1/2 cup light Ranch salad dressing

juice of 1 lime

handful of cilantro

Directions:

1. Prepare shredded chicken:  I followed a method outlined here and here. I cut 1 chicken breast into 3 pieces, put them into a medium saucepan, then topped them with 1 14-ounce can of chicken broth, the equivalent of 1/4 of that can of water, a sprinkle of cumin and chili powder, and some fresh ground pepper. I brought it to a boil, uncovered, then reduced heat to a simmer, partially covered, for 7 minutes. Then covered completely, removed pan from heat and let sit for 30 minutes. I removed the chicken from the broth and shred it with 2 forks.

2. Prepare Cilantro Lime Drizzle: Add all ingredients to a mini food processor and blend well.

3. Heat oven to 450F. Lay tortillas on racks to crisp (just a few minutes, watch closely). 

4. Top tortillas with black beans, if desired, chicken, and other suggested toppings. Drizzle Cilantro Lime sauce on top. 

Serves 2

Source: Adapted from Skinny Bovine's Kitchen