Our dishwasher has been broken for 2 months. At first, I didn’t really mind washing the dishes by hand. “It’ll be temporary!” I said to myself.
It was cute…for a while. I’d put in my earbuds, turn on a show and just wash away happily.
But the days and weeks went by and with four people home everyday all day, the burnout became real and I swear I will never, ever take for granted a functioning dishwasher.
We did order a new dishwasher, which we intended to install ourselves. But nothing that seems simple and easy ever is when it comes to home projects, so we have had a brand new dishwasher in our kitchen, that doesn’t work yet, for two straight weeks.
Next week, the hope is that all of this will change. We hired someone to come and install the dang thing and I cannot tell you how excited I am for Thursday, March 4th to arrive.
You know what makes constant dishwashing even more fun? Doing it after making a meal that your children have stubbornly refused to eat. Makes all that work feel much more difficult. Enter: homemade black bean and cheese taquitos!
We used to buy these from Trader Joe’s but they don’t seem to carry them anymore. This was extremely disappointing to me because, as the mother of a vegetarian leaning youngest child, I loved that he got some beans in his diet. I’ve been trying to recreate a version of black bean and cheese taquitos on and off for a couple years now. And I’ve finally nailed it! Everyone loves them, though the oldest prefers shredded chicken filling, and they freeze like a dream! They’re almost as easy as buying them frozen from the store. Really!
Here is what makes these taquitos work:
Almond flour tortillas from Siete Foods. You can absolutely use corn tortillas, and maybe even flour, but I’ve had the greatest success with the almond flour tortillas because they are crispy and light.
Heat the tortillas slightly in a little oil. This will strengthen the tortillas and keep them from cracking apart when you roll them. Don’t do it for too long or over heat that is too high! Medium low heat for 10 seconds a side seems to be the sweet spot. If they’re golden brown and crispy, they won’t roll well.
Take it easy on the fillings! Don’t overfill.
Use refried black beans. Taste them to see if you need to add seasoning and if you do, make it salt and a little lime juice. Trust.
Easy Black Bean & Cheese Taquitos
Makes 8 taquitos
8 tortillas (I prefer almond flour tortillas from Siete Foods. Corn tortillas can also work.)
1 can refried black beans
1 cup shredded cheddar jack cheese
avocado oil or other light in flavor oil
Preheat the oven to 400˚F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
Set a nonstick skillet over medium/medium low heat. Drizzle a scant teaspoon of oil into the pan.
Working with one tortilla at a time, heat in the pan for 10 seconds per side. Transfer to a work surface and fill with about 1 tablespoon refried black beans, spreading them in a skinny and even line just off center of the tortilla. Sprinkle the beans with cheese, then roll somewhat tightly and place seam side down on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining tortillas, adding a tiny bit of oil to the pan if needed.
Bake the taquitos for 20 minutes or until they are golden brown and crispy. If eating right away, go ahead and toss them on a plate! They are delicious as is or with a good, spicy salsa.
If you want to freeze them for later use, let them cool completely, then put them in a freezer bag. When ready eat, pop them in a 375˚F oven for about 10-12 minutes or until warmed through.