During Christmas, Bryan got a gift to choose a beer starter kit from Craft A Brew. Bryan chose the American Pale Ale kit. The kit was sent to our home. Other than water, ice, beer bottles and a large pot, all the ingredients are packed inside a nicely designed box.

All the ingredients

The process of making beer is not difficult, but it definitely takes a good amount time. The actual making time was about 6 hours. Then, the beer has to sit in a gallon bottle for 2 weeks. After the beer was bottled, it still needed to sit for 2 more weeks. It was hard to wait for that long.

Started by boiling water with malt and hop.

The fermentation process

Getting ready to bottle.

Finally, the beer was ready. When the bottle was being opened, there was a loud pop sound. Then the air bubbles started to appear. The golden color was very nice. The flavor was light and crisp with a hint of bitterness. All the hard works paid off! We are happy with the result. I think we will brew some other beer soon!

Homemade American Pale Ale

Interested to brew your own beer?

Check out Craft a Brew. They have some good starter kits with clear instructions. They even has the White House Honey Ale kit.

Another braised dish! Yea! I really like this one. The flavors are different and unique. The meat was braised until super tender and fell off the bones. With that sweet and savory orange sauce, every bite was incredible. Bryan and I ate more rice than normal too, because the sauce was too damn amazing!

If you can get some sweet oranges and pork spare ribs today, I urge you to make this dish. Pork spare ribs maybe a bit harder to find. Bristol Farms didn’t have them, but they said that they can order them which may take a week. I got mine from Ralph’s and I had the butcher cut it into individual ribs. Hope you will find them!

Braised Pork Spare Ribs with Orange Juice (Adapted from Christine’s Recipes)

2 servings

Ingredients:

-   2 pounds pork spare ribs (St. Louis style ribs)

-   kosher salt

-   ground white pepper

-   1 teaspoon grated ginger

-   1 teaspoon minced garlic

-   3 teaspoons dry white wine

-   oil

Orange Sauce:

-   1 cup fresh squeezed orange juice (about 4 medium navel oranges)

-   ¾ teaspoon orange zest

-   1 cup chicken broth

-   2 tablespoons soy sauce

-   2 tablespoons light brown sugar

Directions:

1. Wash and clean the spare ribs with water. Dry with paper towels. Season with salt and white pepper. Set aside.
2. In a large pot over medium-high heat, add all the ingredients for the orange sauce. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer.
3. Meanwhile, in a large pan over medium heat, heat up 1 tablespoon oil. Sear the ribs on all sides until golden brown. Move the ribs on the side and stir in the garlic and ginger. Cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Pour in the wine and mix well with the ribs.
4. Put the ribs, garlic, and ginger in the orange sauce. Cover the pot with a lid. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce to simmer and cook for 2 hours until the ribs are dark brown in color and meat can easily fall off the bones. Turn the ribs every once a while to ensure even cooking. At the last 15 minutes of cooking, the sauce should be thickening up like syrup. If not, remove the lid and let it reduce. If the sauce is too thick, add little water. Transfer to a serving bowl. Serve immediately with hot steamed rice.

Tips:

1. Use sweet oranges. You can have 1 not-too-sweet orange. But if too many, the dish will be sour.
2. Sieve the orange juice to remove pulp before using.

Source: Read

Snowy Egret at Playa Vista Central Park

Allen’s Hummingbird  at Playa Vista Central Park

Ever since then, I wanted to have a bird feeder. It is lucky that we live in a triplex, so we kind of have a front yard. We went down to a store calls Wild Birds Unlimted in Torrance. That store sells everything related to bird feeding. The store owner was very friendly. He asked us about our living environment and helped us pick out what we need to get started. We got a feeder and some seeds. Back home, we started by hanging up a tube feeder with sunflower chips and sunflower seeds. For the first two weeks, we didn’t have any bird at all. Finally, there were a few house sparrows one morning. Then, a few house finches joined in. After a few weeks, there are so many birds eating on our feeder every day. However Bryan and I wanted to get some different birds, so we went back to the store and got another feeder.

Two weeks ago, we hanged up a finch feeder with Niger seed. Within a few days, we saw a couple of Lesser goldfinches. They are bright yellow and small. They sing nice songs. They are beautiful and cute. We were so excited about that. I can’t wait until Fall, because I heard there may be American Goldfinches. Woo hoo!

It is very nice to do bird watching at home. Bryan and I like to watch them while sitting on the couch and surfing the web. Our next door neighbor can also see the feeder and he said he loves seeing the birds flying back and forth. He likes to watch them while he is watching TV. It is a really fun thing to do. I am glad that we got the feeder and exploring with this new bird watching hobby.

Our feeder and some Lesser Goldfinches

A Lesser Goldfinch was bugging another one.

Want to identified a bird that you saw?

There are two really good sites that will help you. What Bird and All About Birds.

Want to learn about bird feeding?

Wild Birds Unlimited will teach you everything you need to know. They also have stores that sell bird feeders, bird baths, seeds and many more. If not, it is just fun to walk around their stores.

Mother’s Day is next Sunday. If you are thinking about a gift for mom, this Meyer lemon souffle will sure impress her. When it comes to desserts, my mom prefers tangy than sweet or chocolatey. Therefore, I always think about making some kind of lemon desserts for mom on Mother’s Day. This souffle has definitely become one of my favorite lemon desserts. It is warm, fluffy, tangy and fragrant. Even though my mom is in Hong Kong and we are miles away from each other, I will make her this when we see each other next time. Happy Mother’s Day, mom! 

Let’s talk about Meyer lemons. I have heard so much about Meyer lemons, but I never tried it until 2 weeks ago. I found a pack of Meyer lemons in Costco. After a week of exploring, I have tried at least 6 – 7 different recipes with Meyer lemons. When comparing Meyer lemon with lemon, I came to a conclusion that Meyer lemon is less acidic and it is more fragrant than a lemon. They are definitely great for desserts. The only problem is that they are seasonal and they are not easy to find all the time. I know that Meyer lemon season is coming to an end now. If you can find Meyer lemon, buy and try it. If you can’t, lemon will be fine as well.

Meyer Lemon Souffle (Adapted from Bon Appetit Desserts & The Little Ferraro Kitchen)

2 servings

Ingredients:

-   2 large eggs (separated), plus 2 large egg whites

-   ½ cup milk

-   zest of 1 Meyer lemon or lemon

-   3 tablespoons Meyer lemon juice or 2 tablespoons lemon juice

-   ¼ cup sugar, plus more for ramekins

-   1½ tablespoon cornstarch

-   1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

-   ½ tablespoon unsalted butter (cut into small cubes), plus more for ramekins

-   ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

-   ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar

-   1/8 cup powdered sugar, plus ½ teaspoon for decoration

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400˚F.
2. Butter 2 1-cup ramekins and coat with sugar. Set aside.
3. In a small saucepan, combine the sugar (not the powdered sugar) and meyer lemon zest. Whisk in the cornstarch and salt. Stir in the milk and egg yolks. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, whisking constantly. Boil until thick pudding forms, whisking constantly, about 1 minute. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl. Whisk in butter, vanilla extract and Meyer lemon juice. Mix until smooth.
4. In a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat 4 egg whites on medium speed until it starts to get foamy. Add cream of tartar and continue whisking. When it has reached the soft peak, add the powdered sugar slowly. Whisk until stiff peaks form.
5. Mix ¼ of the egg whites to the warm Meyer lemon mixture to loosen up. Fold in the rest of the whites gently. Spoon the mixture into the prepared ramekins. Fill to the top.
6. Place the ramekins on a baking sheet. Transfer them to the oven. Turn the oven down to 375˚F. Bake until puffed, set, and golden around edges, about 16 – 18 minutes. No peeking. When souffles are ready, top with powdered sugar and serve immediately.

Tips:

1. If you can’t find Meyer lemons, lemons will work perfectly too.
2. Before starting with egg whites, make sure you have a clean and dry mixing bowl. And make sure your egg whites do not contain any egg yolk. If there is anything in the egg whites, it will keep the egg whites from expanding.
3. You can prepare the soufflé ahead. When finished placing the mixture into the ramekins, chill them in the fridge for up to 4 hours ahead. Bake them when ready.

Source: Read & Read

I like braising dishes. They are always warm and comforting. Even though we are in Spring now, the weather is still slightly cool and the sky is always gloomy in Los Angeles. It sure sounds like a perfect day for some savory tender chicken. No worries. This is not a really heavy dish.

This chicken dish has many different seasonings. I promise you that the chicken will be packed with flavors. And you will be licking your plate clean with that sauce. Don’t forget to cook rice! You will want them.

Braised Chicken Thighs with Button Mushrooms (Adapted from Emeril Lagasse via Foodnetwork.com)

2 servings

Ingredients:

-   ½ tablespoon olive oil

-   4 chicken thighs

-   2 tablespoons unsalted butter

-   8 ounce button mushrooms (cleaned and thinly sliced)

-   ¾ cup yellow onion (sliced)

-   2 tablespoons minced garlic

-   2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

-   2 tablespoons tomato paste

-   2 cups low-sodium chicken broth

-   2 tablespoons fresh rosemary leaves (coarsely chopped)

-   1 tablespoon fresh parsley (chopped)

-   kosher salt

-   ground black pepper

Seasoning for chicken:

-   ½ teaspoon kosher salt

-   ¾ teaspoon ground black pepper

-   ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika

-   ¼ teaspoon garlic powder

-   1/8 teaspoon onion powder

-   1/8 teaspoon dried oregano

-   1/8 teaspoon dried thyme

-   dash of cayenne pepper

Directions:

1. Season the chicken thighs all the seasoning.
2. In a large sauté pan over medium-high heat, warm the oil. Place in the chicken (skin side down) and sear until golden brown, about 3 – 4 minutes. Turn the chicken over and sear the other side for another 3 – 4 minutes. Remove the chicken and set aside.
3. In the same pan, add the butter and mushrooms, stirring occasionally. Cook until the mushrooms are browned and most of the liquid has evaporated, about 4 – 5 minutes. Add the onions and garlic and cook for 3 – 4 minutes. Sprinkle the flour over the mushroom mixture and stir to make a roux, about 2 minutes. Add the tomato paste, chicken broth and rosemary. Stir until smooth with no lumps. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer.
4. Place the chicken thighs (skin side down) back into the pan. Cook for 30 minutes. Turn the chicken over and cook for another 30 minutes. Skim the excess fat. If necessary, season with salt and pepper. Transfer the chicken and mushroom to serving plates. Serve immediately with steamed rice.

Source: Read

Last week, I received my knife. It was awesome! Sharp and perfect for cutting small things, like vegetables and sandwiches. I am very happy to get an extra knife, especially I used to only have a chef knife.

Beautiful knife

Trying out the knife with tomatoes.

This week, I am not posting a recipe. I am actually exploring recipes with tons of Meyer lemons. And yes, Bryan is getting sick of hearing or tasting Meyer lemons. Hahaha… But after this package of Meyer lemons, he won’t have to see them ever again until next year.

Be sure to check back next week, I have an amazing braised chicken recipe.

Baked Pork Chop with Fried Rice (焗豬扒飯) is a classic in Hong Kong cafe. Who wouldn’t like pork chop with fried rice in tomato sauce and top with melted cheese? It is everyone’s favorite. It is a all-in-one casserole dish.

If you ask the people who have left Hong Kong for a while, what food they miss the most in Hong Kong, many of them would tell you cafe style food. Many Hong Kong cafe dishes are influenced by the west, like the use of tomato sauce, cream, cheese, and pasta. With the combination of Chinese ingredients and cooking style, these dishes are unique and special. They are definitely not too easy to find in the US, especially with that kind of fusion flavors. Therefore I tried to make them at home. After a few tries, I am very happy with this baked pork chop with fried rice recipe. It was good and it tasted very close to the flavors that I remember.

Give this a try and get a taste of Hong Kong!

P.S. I have to thank my Hong Kong friends, Iris and Tony for giving me this cook book. Without it, I won’t be able to recreate many delicious Hong Kong food at home.

Baked Pork Chop with Fried Rice (Adapted from Homemade Tea Restaurant Signature Dishes)

3 servings

Ingredients:

-   1 ½ cup uncooked rice

-   3 eggs (beaten)

-   4 thin cut pork chops (removed bones if needed)

-   3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

-   ½ large onion (cut into wedges)

-   1 ½ medium tomatoes (cut into wedges)

-   ¾ – 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

-   2 tablespoons grated Parmesan (optional)

-   vegetable oil

-   salt

-   ground white pepper

Sauce:

-   ½ cup plus 3 tablespoons ketchup

-   ½ cup plus 1 tablespoon low-sodium beef broth

-   2 ½ tablespoons sugar

-   2 tablespoons soy sauce

-   1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

-   1 teaspoon tomato paste

Directions:

1. Cook the rice in a rice cooker. Once the rice is cooked, let it cool at room temperature for at least 1½ hour.
2. Preheat the oven to 425˚F.
3. In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients for the sauce. Mix well and set aside.
4. In a wok or large pan over medium heat, heat up 1 tablespoon vegetable oil. Pour in ½ of the beaten egg. Scramble the eggs until almost cook through. Add the rice and stir-fry with a spatula. Add 2 more tablespoons of beaten egg into the rice. Season with salt. Stir-fry until everything is well mixed. Transfer the fried rice to a baking dish.
5. In two plates, put the flour and the rest of the beaten egg on them separately.
6. Pat dry the pork chops with paper towels. Season with salt and white pepper. Dust the pork chops first with flour, then dip into the egg.
7. In a large pan over medium-high heat, heat up 3 tablespoons vegetable oil. Cook the pork chop in the oil until light brown and cook through, about 2 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels. When the pork chops are warm, cut them into strips. Place them in the baking dish on top of the fried rice.
8. In another large pan over medium-high heat, heat up 1 tablespoon vegetable oil. Stir in the onions and cook until light brown, about 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook until slightly soften, about 3 minutes. Stir in the sauce. Turn the heat down to medium-low. Cook for 2 more minutes. Pour the sauce and mixture over the pork chop and fried rice. Top with mozzarella cheese and Parmesan. Cook in the oven for 15 – 20 minutes or until the cheese is golden brown. Serve immediately.

Source: Read

Continue with the strawberry theme this week! I have some leftover roasted strawberry puree and strawberries from the Roasted Strawberry and Buttermilk Ice Cream, so I thought what I can do. And yes, pavlova is the winner. I first learned about pavlova from watching Barefoot Contessa on Food Network. Ina made a beautiful mixed berry pavlova. I have been wanting to try it, and finally I did. I made individual ones, so it is easier to serve and Bryan and I do not have to eat the 7-inch cake by ourselves.

As far as I know, Pavlova is from Australia. It is a really popular dish in Australia and New Zealand. No matter where it is from. It is truly an amazing dessert to present and serve at a dinner party. It is light and it has fresh ingredients. It also highlights the berries during the spring season. The meringue is light and crisp on the outside and slightly gooey on the inside. With the fresh strawberry, strawberry puree and whipped cream, every bite is the perfect bite. You may think 3½-inch is a lot, but that is not true. It is a great serving size for one person. If you haven’t tried pavlova before, I urge you to make them today. You will not be disappointed!

Individual Strawberry Pavlova (Adapted from Smitten Kitchen)

6 3½-inch pavlova

Ingredients:

-   4 large egg whites

-   ¾ cup caster sugar

-   ½ tablespoon cornstarch

-   1 teaspoon white vinegar

-   ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

-   1½ cup fresh strawberry (rinsed, hulled, and quartered)

-   ½ cup roasted strawberry puree

-   whipped cream

Roasted Strawberry Puree:

-   1 pint strawberries (rinsed, hulled, and sliced into ½ inch thick)

-   1/3 cup sugar

-   3 tablespoons lemon juice

Whipped Cream:

-   1 cup heavy whipping cream

-   ½ tablespoon sugar

-   ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

1. To make the puree, preheat the oven to 375˚F. For the strawberries, in an 8-inch glass or ceramic baking dish, combine the strawberries and sugar gently. Spread the strawberries out evenly. Bake in the oven for 8 minutes or until just soft. Remove from oven. Set aside and let cool slightly. With a blender or food processor, puree the roasted strawberries and lemon juice together. Transfer to an airtight container and store in the fridge until ready to use.
2. Reduce the oven to 250˚F for the meringues.
3. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. With a 3½-inch circle mold or cup, draw 6 circles on the paper using a pencil, and space the circles apart for about 1½ inches. Once finished, turn the paper over, so the pencil marks are still visible, but do not touch the food. Set aside.
4. In a small bowl, combine the vanilla and vinegar.
5. In another small bowl, combine the cornstarch and sugar.
6. In a large mixing bowl, add egg whites and salt. With an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat on medium speed until trails start to appear and the egg white bubbles are very small and uniform, about 2 – 3 minutes.
7. Turn the mixer speed to medium-high, slowly add the sugar mixture and mix for 3 minutes. Slowly pour in the vanilla and vinegar. Turn the speed to high and beat until the meringue makes stiff peaks and glossy, about 4 – 5 minutes.
8. To make meringue disk, gently pile 3 heaping teaspoons of meringue into the middle of a circle. Smooth the edges and make a slight well in the center of the meringue. Repeat with the rest of the circles.
9. Bake in the oven for 1 hour 15 minutes until the outside of the meringue is dry and has a pale cream color. During baking, if the meringues appear to be taking on color or cracking, reduce the temperature 25˚F. When finished, turn off the oven and leave the oven door slightly ajar. Allow the meringue to cool completely in the oven, about 1½ hour.
10. Meanwhile, to make the whipped cream, in a large mixing bowl, add the cream. With a whisk or an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat until it starts to thicken. Add sugar and vanilla. Beat until firm. Do not overbeat.
11. To assemble the pavlova, place a meringue on a plate. Top with a few dollops of whipped cream, a few teaspoons of roasted strawberry puree and some fresh strawberries. Repeat with the rest of the pavlova. Serve immediately.

Tips:

1. Feel free to substitute the strawberries with any other berries. I have used blueberries and raspberries before. They came out great.
2. Do not feel like roasting strawberries? No problem. Blend the strawberries in a blender. Cook them with 2-tablespoon sugar and 1 tablespoon lemon juice over medium heat until the sugar is dissolved. Cool slightly. Transfer to an airtight container and store in the fridge until ready to use.
3. To make smooth and round meringue disk, scoop a heaping spoon of meringue into the middle of one circle. Scoop another heaping spoon of meringue and place on top of last spoon of meringue. Gently squish the meringue down and out with a spoon until it has reached the circle line. Place another spoon of meringue on top. Using the spoon to make a slight well in the middle.
4. To make the oven door slightly ajar, I rolled up a piece of paper towel and put in between the oven and door. So I can control how much the oven door is opened.
5. For storage, the meringue can be kept in an airtight container at room temperature for a few days. (Not with toppings)

Source: Read

Two weeks ago, I finally got a copy of Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams at Home. I should have got this two years ago. It is a bit late, but better late than never. I am so happy I got it. This is a cookbook for all ice cream lovers. The recipe steps are easy to follow. Not only there are 100 recipes, there are also all kinds of condiments recipes, like cake, brittle, ice cream cone, candy, and sauces. You can really make any ice cream you want with the help of this book. It is a must-have for ice cream fanatics! Buy it if you still haven’t got one!

I read through the whole book once I got it. And the one that screamed to me most was this roasted strawberry and buttermilk recipe. Strawberry season has just arrived. Nothing beat to have sweet and ripe strawberries to cook with. The roasted strawberries smelled and tasted amazing. I thought I would have eaten everything before I added them to the ice cream base. The ice cream came out very thick and creamy. The strawberry can be tasted and I really like the hint of tanginess from the buttermilk. What a perfect scoop of ice cream! I am sure you will like this too!

Roasted Strawberry and Buttermilk Ice Cream (Adapted from Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams At Home)

1 quart ice cream

Ingredients:

-   1 ½ cup whole milk

-   1 ¼ cup heavy cream

-   2/3 cup sugar

-   ¼ cup buttermilk

-   2 ounces cream cheese (room temperature)

-   2 tablespoons light corn syrup

-   1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt

-   1 (1-gallon) Ziploc freezer bag

-   parchment paper or wax paper

-   ice

-   water

Roasted Strawberries Puree:

-   1 pint strawberries (rinsed, hulled, and sliced into ½ inch thick)

-   1/3 cup sugar

-   3 tablespoons lemon juice

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375˚F.
2. For the strawberries, in an 8-inch glass or ceramic baking dish, combine the strawberries and sugar gently. Spread the strawberries out evenly. Bake in the oven for 8 minutes or until just soft. Remove from oven. Set aside and let cool slightly.
3. Meanwhile, pour 1½ cup of milk in a measuring cup. Scoop 2 tablespoons of milk from the measuring cup to a small bowl and pour rest of the milk in a 4-quart saucepan. Set the saucepan aside. Stir the 2 tablespoons of milk with the cornstarch until smooth.
4. In a medium bowl, whisk the cream cheese and salt together until smooth. Set aside.
5. With a blender or food processor, puree the roasted strawberries and lemon juice together. Measure ½ cup of puree and transfer the rest to an airtight container for other uses (maybe for Individual Strawberry Pavlova?).
6. In a large bowl, fill half full with water and add some ice. Set aside.
7. In the 4-quart saucepan with the milk, add the heavy cream, sugar and corn syrup. Stir and mix. Bring the mixture to a rolling boil over medium-high heat. Once it is in a rolling boil, continue to boil for 4 minutes. Remove from heat and gradually whisk in the cornstarch mixture. Return the saucepan to heat and bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat until slightly thickened, stirring with a spatula, about 1 minute. Remove from heat.
8. Slowly whisk in the hot milk mixture into the cream cheese until smooth. Add the reserved ½ cup puree and buttermilk. Mix well. Pour the mixture into the Ziploc bag. Seal and submerge into the ice bath until cold, about 30 minutes. Add more ice if necessary.
9. Pour the cold mixture into the ice cream machine and follow the machine instruction. Once the ice cream is ready, transfer the ice cream to an airtight container. Press a sheet of parchment paper directly against the surface of the ice cream. Close with a lid. Freeze until firm, at least 4 hours.
10. Before serving, leave the ice cream container at room temperature for 5 – 10 minutes to soften slightly. Scoop and serve.

Tip:

1. When boiling the milk, keep a close eye on the liquid. Milk can bubble up fast and boil over. Turn down the heat when that happens.
2. I actually like to top my ice cream with some of the leftover strawberry puree. Nomm… more strawberries please!

Source: Read

I don’t always make Mexican food at home, because Bryan’s families are from El Salvador. We can easily eat those similar tasty food from Bryan’s mom. But when I make “Mexican” food, they are usually not very authentic and very different. This tostada is the perfect example. When I saw this recipe in Bev Cooks, I hesitated for a moment. Tostada traditionally is fried and it definitely does not top with guacamole. Because of the beautiful looking pictures and tasty combination, I decided to give it a try. It turned out to be amazing. The tortilla was crispy and great with melting cheese. The guacamole was creamy. Shrimps were well seasoned and meaty. These tostadas are good as main dish and good to serve with salad or veggies.

Shrimp and Guacamole Tostada (Adapted from Bev Cooks)

2 servings

Ingredients:

-   ¾ pound shrimps (peeled and deveined)

-   2 avocados

-   6 corn tortillas

-   1 ½ cup grated medium cheddar cheese

-   ½ cup cilantro (chopped)

-   juice from ½ – 1 lime

-   2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

-   cooking spray or vegetable oil

Dry rub for the shrimps:

-       2 teaspoons smoked paprika

-       1 ½ teaspoon ground cumin

-       ¾ teaspoon garlic powder

-       ½ teaspoon chili powder

-       salt

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350˚F.
2. With the avocados, cut in half, remove the pit, and scoop out the flesh to a medium bowl. Squeeze the juice of ½ lime over the flesh. Smash the flesh with a fork until less chunky. Stir in the cilantro and salt. Taste and adjust with more salt and lime juice. When the flavor is to your liking, add a few more drops of lime juice. Set aside.
3. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place the tortillas on the baking sheet in a single layer. Lightly coat both sides of the tortillas with cooking spray or vegetable oil. Bake in the oven for 6 minutes each side, 12 minutes total. Remove from oven and place the cheese over the tortillas. Return the tortillas to oven and cook for 4 more minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
4. Meanwhile, pat dry the shrimps with paper towel and season with the dry rub. In a medium pan over medium high heat, heat up the extra virgin olive oil and sear the shrimps until pink and cook through. Remove from pan.
5. To assemble the tostada, place a tortilla on a serving plate and top with 2 heaping teaspoons of guacamole. Place a few shrimps on top of the guacamole. Repeat with the rest of the tortilla. Serve immediately.

Tips:

1. You can use any cheddar cheese you want. I found medium cheddar not too mild and not too strong, which goes well with the tostada.
2. Use more chili powder if you like spicy food.

Source: Read