I love crispy, fresh taquitos smothered in guacamole; but amazingly, I had never made my own. I say amazingly because they are actually quite simple. So simple, you don't really need a recipe -- just *directions -- so my "recipe" isn't really a "recipe". Now I didn't make my own corn tortillas -- not interested -- but simply stuck with my favorite sprouted corn tortillas from Food for Life, which makes this a cinch to throw together. The mini tortillas made pretty perfect little taquitos Saturday night.
After a productive day of cleaning house, working out, lounging at the pool & bouldering at the climbing wall until our hands & forearms hurt, low key, oven-toasted taquitos were the perfect dinner-in.
We threw together our own filling, using what we had on hand, & referred to Naturally Ella's directions for rolling & baking the taquitos.
Sugar chiles gave just a touch of heat & wonderful flavor to the black bean & shallot filling. I would have preferred adzuki beans, but black are what we had.
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To make our filling we sauteed a chopped sugar chile & three small shallots with paprika, cumin, cayenne & sea salt until soft. We threw in a couple cloves of crushed garlic until fragrant; then added ~2 cups cooked black beans along with a small handful of chopped fresh oregano & heated through. After tasting, I thought it could use a little acid to cut through some of the spiciness & heaviness of the beans, so I added a few spritzes of apple cider vinegar.
*To assemble taquitos, bring a medium pot of water to boil & remove from heat. Gather your tortillas, bean filling, & hot water around a cutting or prep board. Carefully dip tortillas in the hot water for 2 - 3 seconds to soften slightly, lay on the board, fill with black bean mixture & roll. Place seam down in a parchment paper lined baking dish & brush with coconut or other baking oil. Bake at 425*F for 10 - 15 minutes until lightly browned. Top with cheese if desired & return to oven just long enough to melt. Serve with guacamole &/or salsa. We made about 10 taquitos.
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Don't worry if you lose a couple tortillas! I did. It took a try or two to find the balance between getting it wet enough to be malleable without overdoing it to the point of falling apart. This is a fun & easy hands on meal; I think kids would enjoy helping.
As for the update: I went back to school a couple weeks ago as a full-time student in the Exercise Science program. From what I hear it is one of the "most difficult" majors at the university, & I am already feeling the work load. I like it though! Doesn't it make all the difference when you actually love what you are studying? This semester is still pretty well the basics: chemistry, biology & intro. to exercise science. My ultimate goal is getting into a Physical Therapy program.
I am also working about 15 hours a week...& trying to maintain balance in my free time, working out, climbing, etc. I enjoy blogging...even if my posting was scarce before school started...so I'll still be posting, but likely only once or twice a week. I hope you'll keep checking in or subscribe to be notified of new posts! Most importantly,
& let me know if you try your hand at making taquitos.
