Baked Black Bean Taquitos

[amorsalado]

Ingredients:

• 1 cup dry black beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 cloves garlic, finely minced (or more if you're like me and subscribe to the "no such thing as too much garlic" school of thought!)
• 2 large leeks, finely chopped
• 1 large red bell pepper, finely chopped
• 1 1/2 TBSP cumin

Directions:

1. Place beans and five cups cold water in bowl.
2. Soak at least five hours and as long as overnight.
3. Drain, reserving soaking liquid.
4. Spray large stock pot with olive oil or cooking spray and heat over medium-low heat.
5. Add leeks and bell pepper, and sprinkle with salt. Cover, and cook five minutes, stirring occasionally.
6. Add garlic and cook one minute.
7. Stir in cumin, and cook one minute more.
8. Add enough water to soaking liquid to make four cups, and add liquid and beans to the leek/garlic/pepper mixture. Season with salt and pepper, cover, and simmer one hour, or until beans are soft, adding water if necessary.
9. Drain any excess water from beans; then put beans into a bowl and mash. I used a regular old potato masher, but I suppose you could use an immersion blender or the food processor. Mash them up until the texture suits you. I left mine with a few whole beans, but that had more to do with the fact that I was tired of mashing than it did anything else.

Next you have to put together your taquitos. I always have the best of intentions when it comes to tortillas, but I never seem to quite manage to make my own. I did, however, use authentic stone ground, preservative free corn tortillas from the Hispanic market. That counts. Right?

1. Preheat oven to 425°.
2. Wrap tortillas in damp paper towels or a damp dish cloth and microwave for a minute and a half.
3. Place a spoonful of the black bean filling into the middle of the tortilla. If you're using cheese place it down before the beans or it will melt out all over everywhere. 
4. Roll it up like a little burrito, except do NOT tuck the ends. Leave them open.
5. Place it seam side down on a cookie sheet that has been sprayed with olive oil or cooking spray.
6. Finish rolling the rest of the taquitos and placing them on the baking sheet. Mine made 18. You could get more or less, depending on how much filling you used in each tortilla. 
7. Spray each of them with olive oil or cooking spray and bake for eight to ten minutes.
8. Turn over and cook for an additional eight to ten minutes or until crispy and golden brown.

More rambling thoughts and observations about this recipe and lots more pictures over HERE.