I had been craving black beans and cheese. Instead of making my usual double-decker quesadilla, I thought I’d try something new. Taquitos sounded yummy, but I wasn’t in the mood for deep-frying. So I made oven-baked taquitos.

Heating the corn tortillas in the oven prior to rolling the taquitos prevents tearing. Placing the stack of tortillas, wrapped in foil, in a heated oven for a few minutes works well, but steaming the tortillas for a few seconds works even better.

These taquitos are versatile as you can add any combination of spices or change the filling all together to suit your craving. I used chili powder and ground cumin and served my taquitos with chipotle sour cream.

Oven-Baked Taquitos

20 Corn Tortillas
2 Cans Black Beans, drained and rinsed
2 Cups Shredded Cheddar Cheese
2 Tablespoons Chipotle Sauce
1 Tablespoon Cumin
1 Tablespoon Chili Pwder
Pinch Salt
Vegetable or Canola Oil

Heat oven to 425 Degrees.

Place half of the tortillas in a steaming basket and steam for about one minute. You can steam fewer tortillas at once for a shorter amount of time. If you do not have a steaming basket, wrap tortillas in foil and place in a 350 degree oven for 5 minutes.

In a medium bowl, mix together the black beans, cheese, chipotle sauce, cumin, chili powder and salt.

Place about 1 ½ Tablespoons of filling on one end of the tortilla, and wrap tightly. Brush rolled taquito with oil and place seam side down on a baking sheet. Place as many taquitos as you can on one baking sheet, leaving about an inch between each taquito.

Bake taquitos until golden brown, flipping once. (about ten minutes.)

Serve taquitos warm with sour cream or chipotle sour cream.

Chipotle Sour Cream

1 Cup Sour Cream
5 Tablespoons Chipotle Sauce

Mix the two ingredients together until incorporated, adding more chipotle sauce if desired.

I received two heads of Baby Bok Choy this week in my CSA bin. Baby Bok Choy is a small leafy green, so I figured sauteing it, like collards or spinach, would probably work well. I then remembered that I got this great stir fry pan for my birthday, so I thought I’d give it a try. Having little experience in the art of stir-frying, I decided to just use ingredients that I love.

So, I made a very tasty stir-fry with broccoli, baby bok choy, mushrooms, baby corn and bell peppers. I love noodles and happened to have some instant ramen in my pantry, so I threw some of those in as well. (I know, ramen noodles are not usually used in stir-fry, but this recipe is called “Daisy’s Favorites” for a reason!)

The secret ingredient that I feel made this dish spectacular was the Sriracha. Sriracha is always in my fridge because it adds that hint of spice and flavor, and if you like things very hot, just add as much Sriracha as you like.

This recipe makes enough for four servings, but my husband and I ate two servings each because it was so yummy!

Daisy’s Favorites: Stir Fried

6 oz Ramen Noodles

2 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts

2 medium Red or Yellow Bell Peppers (or one of each for more color!)

2 cloves Garlic, finely chopped

8 oz package sliced mushrooms

2 heads Baby Bok Choy, sliced lengthwise

1 can Baby Corn (I left mine whole, but chopping them into bite-sized pieces is a better idea)

1 head Broccoli, rinsed and chopped

8 oz can Water Chestnuts, sliced

2 tsp Sesame Oil*

8 Tbsp Teriyaki Sauce* (Separated)

1 Tbsp Sriracha*

Salt

Pepper

-Prepare Ramen noodles according to package directions (if using instant Ramen, discard the flavor packet). Drain and set aside.

-Cut chicken into 1-inch squares and season with salt and pepper.

-Cut all veggies into bite-sized pieces, keeping veggies separated as they are added at different times.

-Heat stir-fry pan over high heat, add 2 tsp. Sesame Oil and 2 Tbsp. Teriyaki Sauce.

-Immediately add chicken to pan (carefully place chicken in pan as the oil will be very hot). Stir chicken constantly until it is ¾ cooked, about 3 minutes. (The chicken will continue to cook as you add the other ingredients.)

-Add Bell Peppers, Garlic and Two Tbsp Teriyaki Sauce to pan, stir for about one minute, then add Mushrooms and Baby Bok Choy, stir constantly until Baby Bok Choy begins to wilt.

-Add Baby Corn, Broccoli and remaining Teriyaki Sauce, stir to incorporate.

-Stir in Ramen noodles and Sriracha.

-Remove from heat and add Water Chestnuts.

-Taste the noodles or a veggie to test the heat, if you prefer spicier, add more Sriracha!

*Sesame Oil, Teriyaki Sauce and Sriracha can be found in the “Asian Foods” or “International” aisle of your local grocery store.

Note: You can use any type of oil that you prefer, but I highly recommend Sesame Oil as it lends a wonderful flavor and aroma to the dish.