Dani Goes South

Fridays have quickly become my favorite day. It's the official start of our weekends, and it usually means a little sleeping in, a pretty walk, a little list-makin', a little grocery shopping, and planning the next two days' projects. This weekend we might even be squeezing in a little new living sitch perusal, which, you can't see me but I'm doing back handsprings, and dancing through a wildflower field with my cat over that prospect. The start to the weekend also usually entails an easy dinner, enter: these tostadas. First, let me just say, crispy tortillas are LyFe, and in this case, the perfect vehicle for tender, chipotle lime butter-basted salmon. Also, if you add said chipotle-lime butter to some crispy baby new potatoes, life seems like, 17% more rosy. Avo, cotija, tons of cilantro, and quick pickled onions are always welcome accouterments, in addition to the most addictive cilantro vinaigrette ever. Are they called "fixings" because after you're done eating, you feel like you've solved all your problems? Just something to think about.

Place roughly 12-14 baby new potatoes (I used a mix of purple, Yukon gold, and red) in a large pot and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil, and cook until fork tender. While your potatoes are cooking, make your chipotle lime compound butter. In a food processor, combine your butter, lime zest, juice, chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, cumin, chili powder, salt and pepper. Set aside. Make your cilantro vinaigrette. Combine your cilantro, cotija, lime juice, red wine vinegar, garlic, salt, pepper and olive oil, and blend until fully emulsified. Set in the fridge until you're ready to eat.

When your potatoes are done cooking, let them cool for a few minutes before handling. Preheat your oven to 400F and cut your potatoes into 1/4" thick slices. Add 2 heaping tablespoons of your chipotle-lime butter and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper. Bake for 15 minutes, then remove from the oven and toss.

Season your salmon with salt and pepper, and then spread on the rest of your chipotle lime butter evenly. Return your potatoes to the oven, along with your salmon, and bake for about 20-25 minutes.

Thinly slice half an onion, and add to a small bowl, and cover just barely with red wine vinegar, and dd a pinch salt and pepper. Set aside.

Heat about 2 tbs vegetable oil in a small saute pan on medium heat, and crisp your tortillas, flipping once to crisp evenly on each side. Add to a bed of paper towels to drain.

To assemble, add your salmon atop your tortilla, and surround with your crispy potatoes. Top with your pickled onions, cotija, avocado slices, cilantro vinaigrette, and sour cream. Serve with extra erry-thang. Cherry tomatoes, freshly torn cilantro, hot sauce, your salsa of choice, lime wedges...it's all gold.

The salmon is super tender, with just the right amount of spice from the chipotle, and can I get a hell YAS for some carb-on-carb action?! The potatoes are crisp on the outside, and perfectly fluffy on the inside- my FAVORITE and frankly, the only way I roast potatoes (Totes stole that method from my mom). The pickled onions and cilantro vinaigrette bring all the necessary acidity to the game, and a little dollop of sour cream, and sprinkle of cotija rounds everything out quite nicely, indeed. Tostada be kiddin' me, they're SO. GOOD. I'm sorry, I had to.

Wishing you a weekend docket full of all the good things, with an emphasis on tostadas.

Chipotle-Lime Salmon Tostadas with Crispy Potatoes, Cilantro Vinaigrette, & All the Fixings

1 lb. salmon

6 tortillas

1 dozen baby potatoes

Vegetable oil for frying tortillas

1/2 red onion, thinly sliced, + about 3 tbs red wine vinegar for quick pickled onions

For your chipotle lime compound butter:

5 tbs butter, room temperature

Zest of 1 lime

3 tbs fresh lime juice

3 tsp chipotle peppers in adobo sauce