Healthy Bean Taquitos
In Spanish, the diminutive of “tacos” is “taquitos” (“little tacos”), so please don’t be surprised that these are not the rolled-up varieties commonly seen in other parts of the world, especially in the U.S.
Let me share with you another fantastic Mexican (not Tex-Mex) dish that is healthy yet so perfectly satisfyingly delicious that you would want to eat this dish whether on a diet or not. As a (regrettably) avid lover of meat, this dish makes me forget meat even exists; it is just that good.
The only non-traditional addition I employed was the spinach leaves. I added them for health and “because-I-wanted-to” reasons (hehe), and they didn’t throw off the composite flavor of the dish at all.
I started with small corn tortillas (b/c they are traditional and healthier than white and wheat flour tortillas without sacrificing flavor and authenticity); you could also use regular-sized tortillas. One day I hope to perfect my corn-tortilla-making skills, but for now, I use the store-bought variety (specifically, I prefer and used to using the Guerrero yellow or white corn variety). Then, I placed the healthy “refried” beans, spinach leaves, fresh salsa (recipe below), and queso cotija (a part-skim, cow’s milk cheese that has a crumbly texture similar to that of feta cheese), which I, unfortunately, eat way too much of.
Eating tacos with queso cotija makes me feel like I’m back in México or in East LA with my ex’s family. When it comes to these tacos, I actually prefer cotija over other mainstream cheeses found in Tex-Mex dishes (e.g., Monterey/Pepper Jack, Cheddar, etc.). However, feel free to use whatever cheese (preferably a less fatty one than what I use hehe) you prefer.
Anyway, enough gabbing. I have a paper to write, data to gather, quizzes to create, and lessons to plan. Enjoy this simple, vegetarian, healthy, Mexican dish!
Salsa/Pico de Gallo
(this salsa is a more liquidy version of a pico de gallo due to the lime juice. Feel free to strain or control the amount of liquid in this salsa.)
3-4 roma tomatoes, quartered
3-4 green onions (or half a regular onion)
1-2 serrano OR jalapeño peppers (deseed if you can’t handle the heat. I leave the seeds in.)
a medium handful of cilantro, chopped
juice of 1/2-1 lime
salt to taste
CHUNKY YET JUICY TEXTURE: Place all ingredients in a food processor and pulse until you reach the desired texture (This method is the one show in the photos).
LOT LESS CHUNKY: Exclude the lime or use only 1/2 of a lime. Place all the other ingredients in a blender and blend until desired texture.
PICO DE GALLO: Cut all the veggies by hand, and place them in a bowl. Add salt and juice of lime. Stir and adjust the amount of salt and lime to taste.
