Veggie Taquitos

There is something about Mexican food that makes us going back to it so often. It's so full of flavours and has these nifty variations in recipes with the basic items being corn tortillas, beans, avacados, peppers, etc. Here is a quick snapshot of stuff we love with the corn tortillas, and many that we have made in our kitchen already:

Burrito - The most famous forms of large soft tortilla wraps stuffed with rice, beans, lettuce, onion, tomatoes and sometimes chicken.
Enchilada - This is burritos (minus the rice) topped with a special tomato based sauce and baked in an oven. 
Quesedilla - Tortillas stuffed with anything imagined. These are typically cooked on a flat pan and often had in breakfast
Tacos - They are typically crispy u-shaped corn tortillas that are filled with lettuce, onion, tomatoes and chicken
Chimichanga - A fried burrito of sorts

There are many more and then there is ..

Taquito - Tortillas stuffed with anything you can imagine but thinly rolled and typically had as an appetizer. We decided to make them with garden vegetables and they were a true delight when served with both types of salsa - verde (green) and tomato (red).

Ingredients (Makes 4 taquitos)

4 Tortillas (made soft by putting it in damp kitchen towels and running in microwave for 30 seconds)
1 big onion, finely chopped
2 tomatoes, finely chopped
1/4 cup finely chopped capsicum
1/4 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
1/3 cup american corns
handful of cilantro
1/3 cup grated cheddar cheese
1 Tbsp cumin
1 tsp brown sugar
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp olive oil
Salt and white pepper

Method

1. Prepare the filling - cook the veggies, starting with onions, for about 5 minutes till they start to soften.

2. Add the spices and cook for another 5 minutes.

3. Turn off the heat and add lemon juice. Add fresh cilantro

4. Arrange the veggies and cheese on the tortillas as shown and roll to form thin rolls. Keep the open edge down so that the rolls do not open.

5. Brush the rolled tortillas with a bit of olive oil mixed with salt.

6. Heat in a pre-heated oven at 200 c. for 6-10 minutes, watching closely that the edges do not burn.

Enjoy this lovely appetizer with salsa sauce.