Tostadas de Queso

Rick Bayless’s fresh-cheese tostadas with Oaxacan flavours serve six crisp tostadas as a snack for four to six people. The selected version uses ready tostadas topped with Mexican queso fresco, olive oil, dried Mexican oregano, black pepper and Oaxacan pasilla salsa, with cilantro leaves if available.

The supplied queso fresco is in half-inch cubes. In a medium bowl, it is combined with two to three tablespoons of olive oil, a teaspoon of dried Mexican oregano and about half a teaspoon of black pepper, selected coarsely ground.

For the best flavour, Bayless suggests letting the cheese mixture stand for a few minutes. The oil and seasonings remain together with the cubed cheese in this mixture.

A portion of the cheese mixture is piled onto each of the six tostadas. Each receives a spoonful of Oaxacan pasilla salsa; the recipe lists about half a cup or more for the batch.

Cilantro leaves are added if they are available. The finished tostadas pair crisp tortilla bases with seasoned cubes of queso fresco and the spooned salsa.