A Festive Cinco de Mayo with Eva Longoria

Just in time for Cinco de Mayo, Eva Longoria shares a favorite dish

When I was a kid, chalupas were like our PB & Js after school. They didn’t require a lot of cooking, because my mom would have the beans and tostadas (crisp, fried tortillas) ready for us. It was all about assembly. And they were kid-friendly—we could add cheese or whatever we wanted to build them the way we liked.

I remember being so small and thinking our kitchen was huge—it was always the busiest room in the house. But I went back to look at it recently, and in fact it was so tiny! I mean, really, you could reach out your hands and touch wall to wall. I thought, “How did my mom feed five hungry mouths out of this itty-bitty kitchen?” And it was noisy! People say I have a really loud voice, and that’s because I’ve always had to fight my sisters for attention. They speak loudly in order to be heard, so I’ve always had to speak loudly, too!

Chalupas

Ingredients:
½ cup vegetable oil, or as needed
8 corn tortillas
4 cups shredded lettuce
1½ cups grated queso fresco or cheddar cheese (about 6 oz)
¾ cup sour cream
1 large tomato, diced
2 avocados, pitted, peeled, and diced
2 cups refried beans, warmed
2 cups cooked, shredded chicken, warmed

Directions:
1. Line a baking sheet with paper towels. In a large skillet, heat oil until shimmery and hot. Fry tortillas one at a time until firm, 1 minute per side. Transfer to baking sheet; cool 5 minutes.

2. Place lettuce, cheese, sour cream, tomato, and avocado in separate serving bowls.

3. Spread beans on each tortilla. Sprinkle chicken on top. Arrange chalupas on a platter; serve with toppings on the side.

Serves: 6. Per serving: 360 calories, 28g carbs, 19g protein, 20g fat, 45mg cholesterol, 350mg sodium, 9g fiber

Eva's Tips:

• “Beans are the glue that binds the corn tortilla to the other ingredients, so they’re a must. After that, you can add ground turkey or cut-up skirt steak or even vegan ingredients, if you want.”
• “For added heat, I use pico de gallo, a fresh, uncooked condiment made from tomatoes, onions, and chiles. Bottled hot sauce is also good for kicking things up.”

 

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