Recipes by Peggy Cass: Tacos with Guacamole; Tostados

Peggy Cass' Tacos with Guacamole

For the guacamole:

2 ripe avocados
1 hot, roasted green pepper (canned)
1/4 cup minced sweet white onion
Salt to taste

1. Peel avocados, retain seeds. Mash pulp with a wooden spoon (or whip in a blender) until light. Remove seeds from hot pepper and mash pepper into avocado. Add onion and salt; mix lightly until well blended. Press seeds against guacamole to keep mixture from turning brown. Cover tightly; refrigerate no longer than 1 hour.

For the tacos:

2 tablespoons peanut oil
12 tortillas (fresh, canned or frozen)
1 1/2 cups shredded baked chicken
Shredded lettuce
Guacamole
Sour cream

1. Heat peanut oil in frying pan until oil is sizzling. Slip one tortilla at a time into the hot oil for an instant until the tortilla becomes pliable. Remove from oil. Fill centers with chicken and fold in half.

2. Fry tacos in hot oil until crisp; drain well on absorbent paper. Complete filling of tacos with shredded lettuce, guacamole and sour cream. Serve on a bed of shredded lettuce. Serve at once. Makes 12.

Peggy Cass' Tostados

For refried beans:

2 strips bacon, cut in 4 pieces
1/4 cup chopped sweet white onion
2 tablespoons tomato paste (or favorite hot chili sauce to taste)
Salt to taste
1 cup canned, drained kidney or pinto beans

1. Saute bacon and onion slowly. Add tomato paste (or chili sauce), beans and salt. Cook until liquid is absorbed, stirring constantly. Mash beans with potato masher.

For tostados:

12 tortillas
2 tablespoons peanut oil
Shredded lettuce
Sliced peeled avocado
Sour cream
Shredded mild white processed cheese

1. Heat peanut oil until sizzling. Brown tortilla on both sides pressing down with spatula to prevent edges from curling. Drain quickly on absorbent paper. While still hot spread each tortilla with a layer of refried beans. some shredded lettuce, sliced avocado, sour cream and top with grated cheese. Serve at once. Makes 12 tostados.