Spinach and Black Bean Taquitos

I made these taquitos for my mom the other day and she was certainly skeptical when I told her what I was making. As she watched me make them, she still wasn't sure. When they came out of the oven, I gave her a small plate and she hesitantly took a bite. To my delight, she loved them and even had seconds. So if you're not sure about these, I dare you to give them a try, because they are healthy and delicious.

The instructions might seem intimidating, because you have to get out your food processor, but it's really very easy and from start to finish and only takes about 30 minutes (longer if you count oven preheating time.) Click here for printer friendly version.

 Preheat oven to 425 F. Process 1 (15 oz) can drained and rinsed black beans, 2 T salsa, 1/2 tsp minced garlic, 1 tsp cumin, 1/2 tsp kosher salt, 1/4 tsp pepper, and 1 T lime juice until mostly smooth.

 Add 6 oz thawed and drained frozen chopped spinach to processor and pulse until incorporated

 Transfer mixture to a bowl and stir in 1 C shredded Mexican blend cheese and 1/2 C frozen corn kernels until well incorporated.

 Roll 1/4 C mixture in an 8-in whole wheat tortilla and place seam side down on a greased baking sheet. Repeat with remaining mixture ending with 8 or 9 taquitos.

Spray the taquitos with a little oil and bake 20-25 minutes until lightly toasted. Enjoy!

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100% Whole Wheat Banana Muffins

Today is Zeke's first day of Kindergarten, so to get him off to a good start, I made these Whole Wheat Banana Muffins. These are a favorite around our house and a batch never lasts long. Usually I make these and we eat them fresh, but occasionally, I make them the night before so that the outside of the muffin gets a nice crisp crust. They also freeze well.

 My kids prefer them plain, but David prefers to add in a chopped walnuts, so I've added that as an optional ingredient in the printer friendly version.

 You'll need: salt, white wheat flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, melted butter, over-ripe bananas, and an egg. A note on the butter: I don't normally say recipes require a certain brand, but I have noticed a superior flavor when I use Land-o-Lakes unsalted butter as opposed to store brand unsalted butter. The ingredient lists are the same, so I never thought about it, but there really is a difference.

Whisk flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda together in a small bowl. Set aside.

Place bananas in a medium-large mixing bowl. Mash with a fork. It should be super easy, if your bananas are overly ripe.

 Add the sugar, egg, and melted butter to the mashed bananas and stir together.

 Add dry mix to the wet mix and stir until incorporated (about 50 strokes).

 Add 1/4 C batter to each greased muffin tin cup. Use a spoon to evenly distribute any remaining batter. Bake for 23-25 minutes in a 350 F preheated oven.

Whole wheat muffins often come out a bit darker than ones made with all-purpose flour, so don't worry they're not necessarily burnt.
Enjoy!

printer friendly version

Do you like to add extra ingredients into your banana muffins?