Chicken Enchilada Tostadas

 

Tostadas! Crunchy tortillas shells topped with succulent chicken and fresh toppings. They were the first meal I made as a new mother when mi nina was ready to join us at the table for big kid food. I spent the entire day on the phone with my mami while preparing the chicken, because I wanted them to taste exactly like hers for mi nine. My mami graciously took time out of her day to walk me through the recipe step by step.

Today I’m excited to team up with Western Union on this campaign because on Mother’s Day it’s especially important to take a moment out of our busy schedules to honor the mom’s in our lives and the rich heritage that they bind us to through passing down treasured family recipes.

I’ll never forget that day. I was so nervous I called my mom at least three times before she said “Mija when you are ready to start cooking call me and I’ll walk you through the recipe,” I was so happy. My daughter was teething, tired of mushy food and ready and eager to join us at the table and begin her journey with solid foods.

One of the most important things my abuelita and mami have taught me is the importance of sharing a meal. The simple act of coming together around the table to share a meal allows us to keep the door of communication open. Over a plate of food, we can share our day, our worries, our joy and our sadness in a safe place surrounded by familia and friends. I wanted to pass this tradition to my daughter.

My mami always made tostadas on those busy days when the hours escaped her, and she was left with only a few minutes to get dinner on the table. She would pull out any leftover from the fridge, lightly fry up tortillas and finely slices plenty of fresh lettuce and tomatoes.

It was one of our favorite meals. She would serve them on a huge platter alongside a big pitcher of limeade and a small bowl of salsa. We would chat about our day; we would plan our weekend and laugh at how my little brother always made such a mess eating his tostada.

Today I want to share a twist on my mami’s famous shredded chicken tostadas she often made for us on busy nights. Shredded chicken warmed through with enchilada sauce is piled high on baked tostada shells then topped with plenty of shredded cheese, crunchy radishes, and creamy avocado to create a quick and easy meal.

I’m so proud to support Western Union in its effort to champion diversity, inclusion (and of course great food) this Mother’s Day and to show how globalization means that the world is getting smaller and it’s easier than ever to share the little things about us that make us unique – like the family recipes that mom used to make

This Mother’s Day, Western Union will bring heritage, food, and customers from all over the world together by asking them to share their traditional family recipes. Western Union believes in celebrating the little things like the food we eat, places we’ve been, our moms or the reasons why we send funds because they are an important part of what makes us, who we are.