Night Falls On Taquitos

(On Monday's I'm thinking about salsa. It has me surrounded with Mexican and Cuban cookbooks. And drooling. My nose in the books, my head in the clouds, before I know it, the day just gets away. And then it's dark. I'm apologizing here because I know you want to see pictures. I'll have to do something about it in the morning. Food pictures just don't look right when I use my old camera and a flash after dark.)

What we're trying to say in this blog is that we omnivores don't need to eat so much meat. When I looked at this recipe, I asked, where's the protein? In the corn tortilla? A little. I didn't fret long, I threw some nuts on top of the salad, shrugged my shoulders and dived in. There is plenty of protein in the rest of my week, I shall not ponder this thought any longer. I am pondering other vegan fillings I can use. If mushrooms, why not a vegetable medley, or rice and beans? Hmmm.

Taquitos are fun to eat. Usually they are served as an appetizer. But today they are my entree because I like them and I want to eat more than two. Finger food for sure. Don't talk to me while I'm eating food, because they are so crunchy you can't hear what anyone is saying and you can't answer them with your mouth full. Think about including them in your holiday planning.

Rolled Mushroom Taquitos 

This recipe comes from Fresh Mexico by Marcela Valladolio.

1 1/2 Tbls Olive Oil

3/4 cup chopped onion

2 garlic cloves, minced

5 oz button mushrooms, chopped

1 1/2 Tbls fresh cilantro chopped

salt and pepper

Twelve 6-inch corn tortillas

Vegetable oil for pan frying

Herdez Salsa Verde (unless you make your own)

Heat 1/2 Tbls olive oil in a large heavy skillt over med high heat. Add onion and garlic and saute for about 5 minutes, until beginning to brown.

Add the remaining 1 Tbls oil and the mushrooms, and saute for 5 minutes or until golden brown.  Remove from heat. Stir in the cilantro, and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Corn tortillas are dry. Before you go to the next step, wrap a dozen tortillas in a clean wet dish towel and put them in the microwave for a minute to soften them.

Place the tortillas on a work surface and spread 2 Tbls of the mushroom filling down the center. Roll them up into a cylinder. Place a toothpick in the center and one at each end of each taquito to keep the filling from falling out.

Place a medium skillet over medium-high heat and add enough vegetable oil to reach halfway up the sides of the pan. Heat the oil to 350 degrees F. Working in batches, fry the taquitos until golden brown, about 1 minute per side. Transfer them to paper towels to drain.

Remove the toothpicks from the taquitos, and transfer the taquitos to a platter. Spoon the salsa down the center of each taquito and serve.

Serve with a green salad and call it a night.