Bean and Cheese Flautas
I think Mexican food is the most vegetarian-friendly cuisine out there, because even if you leave the meat out, there's still tons of cheese, guacamole, satisfying spices and crunchy things to stuff your face with.
Here's a really easy vegetarian Mexican recipe: flautas, a crispy tortilla filled with beans and melted cheese. I really like this recipe because it doesn't require a lot of ingredients, but it tastes so good you won't even miss the chicken. You can serve a bunch of them on a platter for a party, or pair them with meat-less Mexican favorites like guacamole and Mexican rice for a quick dinner during the week. I like them with a classic Margarita. My husband likes them with a shot of tequila.
I know these look amazing, but if you don't believe how easy these are to make, just look at how few ingredients this recipe requires. Flour tortillas, pinto beans, green chiles, garlic, white onion, lime, cumin and chili powder. You can use either white or whole wheat flour tortillas – Adam always makes me buy the healthier whole wheat option, but if you really want to get your Junk Food Vegetarian on, go with white flour. I usually use dried, soaked pinto beans, but you can use canned to make this recipe even faster – just open the can and rinse. The green chiles come from a can, and they're already chopped.
There's only one real cooking step in this recipe, and it involves sauteeing the onion, garlic and spices in vegetable oil on medium-high heat for about 5 minutes, just until the onions release some of their liquid. This really brings out the flavor of these ingredients. Now you're ready to assemble.
This recipe does come with a short work out, so an added bonus is: you can skip arm day! Mash the beans and chiles by hand in a bowl until you've got a smooth paste.
Next, add some frozen corn and lime juice and stir it up. This will admittedly look unappetizing, but we're making a piece of art here, so don't judge it until it's done. It's going to taste amazing, and plus, we're about to cover it in melted cheese and wrap it in a crispy tortilla anyway.
Now it's time to test out your tortilla rolling skills. Put about two tablespoons of the bean paste on the end of the tortilla, cover with cheese (the more the merrier) and roll it up tight without tucking in the ends. We used cheddar cheese, but any kind of melty Jack cheese would be good too.
Line these beautiful bundles of beany, cheesy goodness up on a sheet pan, brush them with vegetable oil, and toss them in the oven. Once they're done, if you can stand to wait, you can garnish them with some cherry tomatoes and shredded cilantro, or even some taco sauce or guacamole.
Adam says this meal is a great source of protein, fiber, and healthy fats if you throw in the guac. I say who cares, it's good.
Flautas, the Recipe
Ingredients:
vegetable oil
1 yellow or white onion chopped
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
4 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 15 oz. can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1 4 oz. can mild green chiles
juice of half a lime
1 cup corn kernels- fresh or frozen
1 cup grated monterey jack cheese or any other melty cheese
12 flour tortillas (white or whole wheat)
Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a skillet over medium heat. (1-2 minutes). Toss the chopped onion into the skillet and cook the onion for 5 minutes until it starts to brown. Add the chile, cumin, garlic, and a sprinkle of salt and cook for 30 seconds more. The garlic and spices will start to give off their aroma. Take the pan off the heat.
Put the beans, chiles, and lime juice in a bowl and mash. Keep mashing until you form a paste. Mix in the cooked onions and spices and corn. (If using frozen corn make sure to thaw first)
Assemble the flautas one at a time by smearing some of the bean mixture on a tortilla. Top with cheese and roll the tortilla up tight. Repeat for all of the tortillas and line them all up on a baking pan that you have brushed with vegetable oil.
Brush the rolled up flautas with vegetable oil and put in the oven for 10 minutes. Using tongs turn the flautas over to maximize the amount of crispy edges. Put them back in the oven and bake for another 5 to 7 minutes. Serve the finished flautas with your favorite toppings or dips like salsa and guacamole.
