Heart Tostadas with Shredded Chicken

Cube chicken into 1 -2” pieces and place in a small sauté pan. Add ½ cup water and 1 cup salsa and a pinch of salt. Bring to a simmer and stir, then steady the heat around medium and cover. Simmer for about 12 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. Turn off the heat and use a fork or slotted spoon to lift the chicken out to cool in a bowl. If the remaining broth looks really watery, turn on the heat and let it boil until it reduces; you're looking for a consistency only a bit thinner than salsa itself. Turn off heat. When it’s cooled a bit, shred the chicken with your fingers or 2 forks and fold back into the salsa/sauce.

Open and drain the beans and place in a small pot with a few tablespoons of water. Add the chili powder and ½ teaspoon of salt. Bring to a simmer and if desired, mash with a fork to the desired consistency.

Mince garlic. Add ½ to the beans. Simmer beans, turning down heat until ready to serve.

Cut a heart shape into the tortillas with a cookie cutter (or see Culinary Skills for the knife method). Use a cutter that is smaller than the tortilla, so the outer ring stays in tact too. Brush or rub the heart and the outer ring with about 1 Tablespoon of oil and a pinch of salt. Line up on a baking sheet and roast, flipping halfway through, for about 6 - 8 minutes or until crispy and deeply golden.

Shred cabbage finely.

In a bowl, whisk together the other ½ of the minced garlic, the vinegar, a pinch of salt, the sugar, cumin and remaining 3 Tablespoons of oil. Add the cabbage and toss to coat

Assemble! Plate the beans and top with a tostada, top with chicken and salsa. Garnish with cheese, sour cream, and sliced avocado to taste.

If not showing off the heart shape, you can pile everything on top of the round tortilla, but for the hearts, we like to put the beans underneath.