Baked Chipotle Beef Taquitos

I love the baked chicken taquitos from ourbestbites.com, so I bet this recipe is awesome as well!

3 C cooked, shredded beef roast*
4oz green chilies, undrained
1/4-1/2 t minced chipotle pepper in adobo sauce (I use 1/4 t for mild heat.  See note below)
3 t adobo sauce from the canned chipotle peppers
1 t garlic powder
1 t coriander
1/2 t cumin
1 t chili powder
zest from one lime
1 T fresh lime juice
1 package Queso Fresco (about 12 oz)
white corn tortillas 6" inch
olive oil or cooking spray
kosher salt

Note:  If you don't want to work with the chipotle peppers, or can't find them, try adding some Chipotle Chili Powder.  You can find it by the other spices in the grocery store. It will still give you a smoky spice, so start with a little and increase to taste.

*I created this recipe to use up left over roast from things like pot roast and french dip sandwiches.  If you're cooking a roast strictly for use in these taquitos, then just mildly season it with things like salt, pepper, onion, and garlic before cooking.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Slice any larger pieces of roast across the grain so the beef is shredded into 1/2-1 inch pieces.  Combine chilies, chipotle pepper, adobo sauce, garlic, coriander, cumin, chili powder and lime zest and juice in a bowl.  After stirring to combine, gently toss together with shredded beef. 

Wrap a pile of about 10 tortillas in damp paper towels and microwave for 1 minute to soften. (after those are used, do the next 10)  Working with one tortilla at a time, crumble about 1T queso fresco in a line across the center of the tortilla.  Top with 1-2 T shredded beef mixture.  Tightly roll and place seam-side down on a lightly sprayed baking sheet.  Continue to roll until all of the tortillas are filled. 

Use cooking spray, olive oil spray, or lightly brush olive oil on the top of each taquito.  Sprinkle with kosher salt.  Place in the pre-heated oven and bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown on the edges. 

Serve warm with sour cream and guacamole.  Makes about 20 taquitos.

Freezer instructions:  Make as noted through the step where you sprinkle the tops of the taquitos with salt.  Place in a dish a single layer, not touching each other and set in the freezer.  After frozen, place in zip-top bag, foodsaver bag, or any other air tight container.  To cook, preheat oven to 425.  Place taquitos on a baking sheet in a single layer and bake until edges are golden brown.  (Usually about 30 minutes)

Chipotle Chicken Taco Salad

This recipe is from Ourbestbites.com.

*Makes 4-6 meal-sized servings and 6-8 side-dish or party-sized servings.

SALAD:

4 c. chopped Romaine Lettuce
2 c. chopped grilled chicken (you could use Taco Chicken if you want)
1 c. cherry or grape tomatoes, washed
1/3 c. vertically-sliced red onions
1 avocado, cubed
1 15-oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 8 3/4 oz. can corn, rinsed and drained Chipotle Chicken Taco Salad

DRESSING:

DRESSING:
1/3 c. chopped fresh cilantro
2/3 c. light sour cream
1 1/2 + tsp. adobo sauce from canned chipotle chilies
1 tsp. chili powder
4 tsp. fresh lime juice
¼ tsp. salt

OPTIONAL:
Tortilla Strips

Make sure all salad ingredients that need to be washed or rinsed have been. Combine lettuce, chicken, beans, corn, onion, and tomatoes in a large bowl and gently mix with your hands (which you have obviously and thoroughly washed, of course! :) ). Set aside.
Mix dressing ingredients. I say to start with 1 1/2 tsp. of adobo sauce and then go from there, probably 1/4-1/2 tsp. at a time. If you're serving this for a crowd, it's probably better to err on the side of not spicy enough rather than too spicy, but if you're just making it for your family and you have taste buds of steel, have at it. You could even chop up one of the chilies and toss it in there if you're feeling super-brave. Then taste the dressing and you'll know what heaven tastes like. Set dressing aside.

If you're making tortilla strips, fry those puppies up now. I didn't make them here because I'm trying my darndest not to be naughty nutritionally, but if I make this salad for some kind of festivity, I always make the tortilla strips. Allow them to cool.

When you're ready to serve, add avocado, tortilla strips, and dressing. Gently combine with your hands and serve.

Fresh Strawberry Limeade

From our ourbestbites.com


1 tall glass
Lots of ice
Sprite (or Diet Sprite…or Ginger Ale if you’re feeling wild)
1 1/2 limes
3-4 tablespoons Strawberry Sauce

Fill a glass with ice. Squeeze the juice of one lime into the glass over the ice. Fill the glass about halfway with Sprite. Add 3-4 tablespoons of strawberry sauce. Top the glass off with Sprite and add more strawberry sauce if desired. Garnish with lime wedges (which you can also squeeze into the glass before drinking. Definitely best when served with a straw.

Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas

Okay something other than strawberries.  I think I'm going to have to make this for dinner this week.  We love enchiladas!  and this looks scrumptious!

Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas

6 Tbsp honey

4.5 Tbsp lime juice

1 Tbsp chili powder

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1 lb cooked chicken, shredded (you can also use shredded pork. That's what I did here.)

flour tortillas

colby or monterey jack cheese, shredded

10 oz. can green enchilada sauce

Mix first 4 ingredients together and toss with shredded chicken. Let it "marinate" for at least a half hour. Pour some green enchilada sauce on the bottom of a 10x10 casserole dish or 9x13 pan. Fill flour tortillas with chicken and shredded cheese. Pour the rest of the can of green enchilada sauce over enchiladas then sprinkle with more cheese. (When using a 9x13 I like to use 1 1/2 10 oz. cans) Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. (Put it under the broiler at the end to make the cheese brown and crispy on the top.) 

REVIEW (6/29/11):  Made this last night.  It was good but a little too sweet for us.  But we're not big sweet meat people.  Also, we could not taste the hotness of the chili powder at all.  So next time, I think we will double the chili powder or add Tabasco sauce  or something to make it more spicy to counteract the sweetness.  I used chicken but I'm sure it would be good with pork too, as she suggested.