My dad’s latest newly retired hobby is hoarding avocados from the neighbor’s tree, a portion of which conveniently falls into my parent’s backyard. On any given day, he has about 20 beautiful, plump green avocados ripening to ebony in brown paper bags he hides in the garage. He shares some of his stash with me when I visit, and you know what they say: when life gives you avocados, make guacamole. I made taquitos, which is actually a lot easier than tacos because the tortillas actually stay in place when you fry them. My mom swears by Libby’s Roast Beef, which is a trip because she rarely cooks from a can. In fact, I was tempted to warm up some canned organic black beans to pair with this dish (cooking beans is three-hour task that’s not realistic for after work cooking), but I know my mom reads and would kill me for not making fresh beans. Here’s the quickest way to make taquitos with guacamole and rice:
- First, start the rice. In a small pot, warm 2 tbsp. olive oil on low heat. Chop 3-4 garlic cloves and ¼ yellow onion and heat in pot, stirring until translucent. Add 1 cup long-grain rice and brown with the garlic and onion for about 3 minutes on med. heat. Add 2 cups chicken broth or 2 cups water plus 1 bouillon cube, ½ chopped tomato or 1 tbsp. tomato paste, and ¼ cup frozen peas and carrots (optional), stirring to combine. Simmer for about 20 minutes with lid slightly open.
- While the rice is steaming, start the taquitos. I had some leftover carne asada in the freezer that I defrosted while I was at work, but you can use shredded boiled chicken, roast beef, or carnitas. I sliced the carne asada into bite-sized strips, seasoned with salt, pepper and a dash of Gebhardt Chili Powder (it’s selling for $59.99 on Amazon, which may explain why my boo’s obsessed with it) and sauteed over med.-heated pan with 1 tbsp. olive oil for about 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, heat about ½ cup vegetable oil in a deep pan that will be used to fry taquitos. You know it’s hot enough when you sprinkle water into the pan and it pops.
- Next, warm up some corn tortillas by covering with a damp cloth and heating them in a microwave for 1-2 mins.
- When the meat is cooked, wrap a small portion into a warm tortilla and roll, holding it in place with a toothpick. Line up prepared taquitos on a rectangular dish until ready to fry.
- Fry taquitos by carefully placing them in hot oil with tongs. Fry about 1 minute per side until brown, covering with a grease catcher to avoid getting burned. Place on dish lined with a paper towel to soak up excess grease.
- To make the guacamole, slice 2 big avocados in half and reserve pits. Scrape out avocado meat with a spoon and place in a bowl. Add a sprinkle of water, sliced jalapenos, green onions, tomatoes, and enough garlic salt to taste (about 1 tsp.). Combine with a fork to keep chunky and avoid mashing. Place pits back in to keep guacamole fresh.
- When taquitos are done frying, serve with guacamole, salsa (I used my mom’s red chile; recipe to come), sour cream, and rice. Enjoy! Excuse me for not having a pot of beans on hand.