baked tostada party and guacamole

We got back from going to grocery store and the laundrymat late-ish tonight. We were hungry and wanted food. At my neighborhood grocery ancient peppers produced in the us by UFW farms go on sale for 79 cents a lb to 1$ at least every few months. They are versatile and freeze well (either whole or after veining and slicing.) Avocados also were on sale 2 for 1$ (happy day!) so it became imperative to make tostadas.

If you're just making dinner
1. Slice up some sweet peppers (bell,ancient,wax whatever) ,
1/2 a red onion and
2 cloves garlic
(and sliced  mushrooms or greens  if you like)
Put this in a heavy bottomed pan with 1 tsp cumin and 1/2 tsp oregano (or 1 tsp your preferred brand of adobo seasoning) 1 tsp olive oil 1/4 cup water and the juice of 1 lime. Stir fry this until onions become translucent and begin to brown lightly.  salt to taste.

 If you're having a party do 2-3 lg or 5 very small peppers and 1 1/2 onion and 6 cloves of garlic.
2. Warm 5 oz (family) 12 oz (small party) black beans (smooth blended or whole)
3. Pull out tostada shells ( we prefer baked but these may be hard to find in your area: recipe follows)
4. Spread about 2 -3 tb beans on your tostada (if using whole drain very well or adhere by spreading guac first )
5. Now add the pepper and onion stuff and greens like any salad mixture, guac if you're using it cooked greens, fine sliced cabbage, chopped tomatoes or a large handful chopped cilantro.
6. Balance other stuff atop your creation. For example Rabbit likes to have queso fresco on theirs. I have been known to sneak mussels or cooked leftover fish onto mine.
Two of these make me stuffed and I'm not a small woman.

Baking tostadas and corn chips
Fried tostadas tend to make my stomach hurt. They also tend to be fried in hydrogenated oil or sometimes lard which I also avoid.
Baked tostada shells are 2$ per box. I can make 10 for 35 cents when I have the extra 15 minutes.

Pull out a cookie sheet and bake at 425F for 7 minutes each side
for lime flavoured: line sheet with parchment first
juice one lime and sprinkle / brush over 1 medium cookie sheet worth of tortillas
proceed as above. you could also sprinkle a little salt or chile powder on these easily. The moisture has the added benefit of making the chips crisper
Corn chips cut into triangles with a pair of kitchen shears or pizza wheel or knife. Proceed as you would for the chips.

Simple Guacamole
Peel and pit two avocados. Add pinch oregano, 1/2 lime juice, salt ground cumin 1 tsp. Mash. We prefer ours lumpy so we only mash 2-3 times. Add finely minced onion or 2 tb salsa of choice. Stir. keep sealed from air until serving. Wax paper or last minutes prep work well for this.
For parties
There are a number of other options for creating a tostada bar.
Simply line up the toppings (each with their own spoon) and let people roam free. Or have each person bring a topping and  prepare 3-4 basics just in case some folks are lax or decide to bring booze or dessert.