My cooking club theme this month was “Finger Foods”, and I decided to make a vegetarian version of this summer’s hit taquitos.  I found this recipe for black bean taquitos, and merged the concepts to come up with the following recipe.  The bean filling was good and fairly mild, and the cheese helped the beans to stick together.

Unfortunately, the corn tortillas weren’t very pliable, even after being heated in the microwave.  So that made the taquitos difficult to roll, and some of them cracked.  I forged ahead, and they ended up OK, but I need to refine the technique a bit.  Or perhaps try a few different brands of corn tortillas, to see which ones work best.  I also made a dipping sauce for the taquitos that is very similar to enchilada sauce.  The dipping sauce (not pictured here) had a little bit more kick, and was a nice addition.

We ate a lot of great things with our fingers, including butternut squash crostini, roasted vegetable pizza, and twice baked small potatoes.  The evening ended with frosted cupcakes and hot tea.  No utensils were required to fully enjoy this great meal.

Black Bean Taquitos

2 t canola oil
1 onion, diced
1 jalapeno pepper, deseeded and diced
1 t minced garlic
1/2 t paprika
1/2 t cumin
1 (15 oz.) can black beans, rinsed and drained
16 corn tortillas
1 c. shredded cheddar cheese

Dipping Sauce

1 (8 oz.) can tomato sauce
1/3 c. water
2 t chili powder
1/2 t cumin
Dash cayenne

Heat olive oil in a large frying pan.  Add onion and pepper, and cook until softened.  Add garlic and spices to pan, mix well, and cook for 2 minutes.  Add beans and cook for 2-3 minutes until heated through.

Heat 5 tortillas at a time by microwaving on high for 30 seconds between two damp paper towels.  Spread 1-2 T of black bean mixture on a tortilla, top with 1 T cheddar, and roll tightly.  Place on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray.  Repeat until all bean mixture is used.  Bake taquitos for 12-15 minutes at 400F.

To make dipping sauce, mix tomato sauce, water, and spices in a small saucepan.  Cook on medium heat for 5-10 minutes, or until heated through.

Thanks to those who emailed and called to let me know there was a problem on the blog!  It was hacked and there was a very ugly message.  I am pretty sure that everything is finally restored and it’s back to normal.

But while this was all happening, I couldn’t prepare my posts for the week.  I have a super busy week at school, so bear with me.  More recipes coming soon!

I got into work last week and there was a surprise on my desk from one of my co-workers.  It was a Caramel Apple Breakfast Cookie!  I love surprises, especially those that involve food.  Since I have to eat breakfast on the go a lot this semester, I am looking for some new options.  So I brought the breakfast cookie with me to campus one morning, and enjoyed it along with my favorite Starbucks beverage, a skim latte.

First of all, the cookie gets a lot of credit for surviving a commute in my overstuffed bag.  I can’t say the same for my very ripe banana.  Finally, with a piping hot latte in hand, I tore it open.

This is no ordinary packaged cookie which crumbles apart as soon as you take the first bite.  The texture is similar to a freshly baked soft oatmeal cookie. And it tasted great as I devoured every last crumb.  The cookie is sweet, but not too sweet.

From a nutrition standpoint, the cookie is fine for an occasional breakfast.  It contains more sugar (21g) and less protein (6g) than I would like, but it’s better than most commercial baked goods.  The label says ‘Baked Fresh with Whole Grains’, and while the cookie does contain whole grain oats, it also contains unbleached wheat flour which is not a whole grain.

This cookie is still a nice option for those days when you’re eating on the run, or in the case of my co-worker, when you’re eating after a run.  I haven’t looked for them yet in stores around Boston, but will keep my eyes open.

Now that school is in full swing, time is tight.  Sometimes you just have to go back to the basics.  I’ve always loved grilled cheese, and you know how much I like zucchini.  So I paired them to make a quick but satisfying sandwich.

I cut a small zucchini lengthwise into 4 slices, and sauteed them in a frying pan coated with cooking spray.

I put the sauteed zucchini between two slices of whole wheat bread, along with Cabot 50% Reduced Fat Cheddar Cheese.  Using the same pan, I grilled the sandwich until it was golden brown.

If you’ve been following me on Twitter, you’ve seen the tweets about my experiences this summer as a volunteer for the Cooking Matters program.  This non-profit organization offers nutrition-based cooking classes to low income families in several communities.  I helped at a site in East Boston and met an extremely diverse group of women with children of various ages.  However, they all had one thing in common – they want their families to eat well.

What I really like about this program is the emphasis they place on practical skills.  We talked about how to read nutrition labels and ingredient lists, how to plan meals and use leftovers, and how to find the best values at the grocery store.  We shared stories about ways to introduce new foods to a family.  And we cooked at least three recipes every week under the direction of the chef instructor and course coordinator, with the help of the course assistant.  Everyone got a chance to peel, chop, grate, stir and saute.  We used herbs and spices which were new to many participants.  The chef instructor emphasized safe knife skills and taught everyone how to use a food thermometer.

I had no idea just how much I would learn myself.  I enjoyed working with a professional chef instructor as much as the other participants!  Here are the top 3 cooking tips I got from the class:

• When cutting fruits and vegetables, always create a flat surface to place face down on the cutting board.  (This seems so obvious, and yet I struggle cutting onions the wrong way all the time.)
• After pressing garlic, rub your fingers on stainless steel to remove the smell. 
• When  measuring honey, coat the measuring cup or spoon with cooking spray and the honey will slide right out.

But the most important thing I gained is an awareness of the importance of access to good food.  Many participants lived within walking distance of a single grocery store.  We consistently emphasized using a variety of fruit and vegetables in class, but even some of the seasonal produce was quite expensive in this store.  Frozen and canned fruit and vegetables are also a good option, but the selection is generally more limited.  We talked a lot about overcoming these types of obstacles by creating weekly meal plans which take advantage of the best values and substituting items in recipes as needed.  But my eyes were really opened to the issue of ensuring that everyone has access to high quality produce at affordable prices.

If you’re in Massachusetts and interested in volunteering for Cooking Matters, I highly recommend it!  Click here  If you’re in another state, you can learn more here.

 I am extremely grateful for the opportunity to work with Cooking Matters this summer!