By Steven Raichlen



A New Nacho

Yield: 12 nachos, 6 servings

•   12 corn tortillas
•   1 cup no-fat sour cream
•   2 Tablespoons cilantro, minced, plus 36 whole cilantro leaves
•   ½ teaspoon ground cumin
•   ½ teaspoon ground coriander
•   1 ripe tomato, seeded and cut into ¼-inch dice
•   6 pitted black olives, thinly sliced
•   6 drained pickled jalapeño peppers, thinly sliced
•   4 scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced
•   ½ cup sharp cheddar cheese, coarsely grated (preferably an orange cheese)
•   Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Arrange the tortillas on baking sheets and bake until they just begin to brown, about 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool; the tortillas will crisp as they cool.

Meanwhile, in a mixing bowl whisk together the sour cream, minced cilantro, cumin, coriander, salt, and pepper. The mixture should be highly seasoned.

Just before serving, preheat the broiler. Spread each tortilla with a spoonful of the sour cream mixture. Sprinkle the diced tomato, olive and jalapeño slices, scallions, cilantro leaves, and grated cheese on top. Broil the nachos until the cheese melts and the topping is hot, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a platter and serve at once.