Taquitos Turned Tacos

There are a lot of things going for me.  I have a wonderful husband.  We have a great house.  Our families both really get along quite well even my blended family.  We both are blessed with great jobs.  Sometimes, as good as things are, mistakes happen.  For example, we went furniture shopping today.  We've been saving for new bedroom furniture that we can call our own for quite some time now and today was the day.  So we headed up to Nebraska Furniture Mart, found an awesome deal on a set, and made our purchase.  Then we realized we needed a matching media console for our television not really thinking about the space and the massive chest of drawers that came with our set.  So, we went down to the living room furnishings and purchased a console we thought would be a good match.  The bedroom set will not arrive until May.  The console was ready for pick up.  We brought it home...and then I freaked out.  "Bear, I don't think we thought this through enough," I say.  The Bear replied, "What do you mean?"  "Well, um where are we going to put the large set of drawers with the mirror on top?" I said.  "Oh $h*t.  You're right!" the Bear says.  Oh $h*t is right people.  We have a large bedroom, but not enough room for our new console.  So, I guess the console will have to go in the living room.  Really it is okay because our media console right now was a pre-marital purchase Justin made and looks straight out of fratville.  The color of the finish does not totally match the rest of our furniture, but it is far better than what we've got going on right now.  Yin-yang.

So goes my Very Veggie Beef Taquitos tonight.  I was all geared up for a sweet taquito surprise and this happened in the oven:

Yeah, that's my oven.  I opened the door after running 2.5 miles on the treadmill at the gym 45 minutes earlier to find this little beast of a happening.  I was trying to calm myself down after dropping $400 on a media console that would not fit in our bedroom.  Not very photogenic, but at least I'm being honest.  Recipe mishaps happen.  No one is perfect.  So, to make the recipe more successful, yes even for the rookies, I turned the taquitos into tacos.  Something a little more photo friendly and palatable.

Beef Taquitos Turned Tacos with Edimole

For the tacos:

1/4 pound lean ground beef

1 red onion, finely diced

1 yellow or red bell pepper, finely diced

1 clove crushed garlic

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 can fire roasted tomatoes (preferably salsa style)

2 tablespoons taco seasoning (I use Penzy's)

Corn tortillas

For the edimole:

1 cup thawed edimame

Juice of one lime

1 clove crushed garlic

1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

2 avocados

1/4 cup fat-free sour cream

1/4 cup salsa of your choice

Heat a large skillet over medium heat.  Coat with non-stick cooking spray.  Add the beef and cook, breaking up the meat with a spatula, until browned.  Add onion, peppers, and garlic.  Cook, stirring occasionally until the vegetables have softened.  Add the black beans, tomatoes, and taco seasoning.  Cook, stirring occasionally until the mixture begins to thicken.  Remove from heat.  Set aside.

Set a medium sized skillet or griddle over medium high heat. If you are using a skillet you will only be able to heat the tortillas one or two at a time. If you have a pancake griddle you can heat several at a time. Place corn tortillas onto the skillet or griddle. Heat the tortilla(s) until they begin to fluff a little, then flip and heat another minute or so. Remove from heat with a spatula. Fill with the beef mixture and serve with salsa and the edimole (edimole recipe below).

Blend edimame in a food processor or blender until smooth.  Add the lime juice, garlic, cilantro, avocados, sour cream, and salsa.  Process or blend until smooth.  Serve along with the tacos or with tortilla chips.  It is a totally "skinny" alternative to traditional guacamole if you are looking to save some calories.

This recipe is on my menu post for Sunday left-overs.  You can do as you choose.  I suggest the tacos, but it tastes the same no matter what:)