Today, I’m really excited to share a new cookbook with you that has come out called Chicano Eats, written by Esteban Castillo who runs the awesome food blog by the same name, Chicano Eats. It’s an incredible book filled with Esteban’s recipes from his “Mexican-American Kitchen,” including some of his childhood classics and some fusion recipes that are sure to become new staples. It’s brightly colored, beautifully shot, and filled with delicious recipes that are approachable and satisfying. There are so many recipes that I can’t wait to try myself, and I just know that you all will love it as well. I’m sharing these Cheese and Poblano Pepper Flautas from the book and although I’m not a vegetarian, these made me forget about meat…just for a second. I highly recommend them as a quick and delicious weeknight meal. Your next Meatless Monday menu, perhaps? I think so.
Let’s start by making the filling for our flautas. Place a large skillet over medium-low heat with 2 tablespoons oil. Once hot, add the poblano peppers, onion and mushrooms. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion starts to become translucent, about 6 to 8 minutes.
**Note: Poblano peppers aren’t burn-off-your-mouth spicy. They have a slight kick but won’t really knock you over. A good rule of thumb with peppers is the bigger the pepper the less spicy they are and the smaller they get the hotter they’ll be!**
Stir in the garlic and spices (salt, pepper, coriander and cumin) and cook for an additional 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and taste the filling and adjust seasoning accordingly, adding more salt or pepper if needed.
I like to transfer the mixture to a bowl and let it cool slightly, so that it makes the rolling a bit easier. If the filling is too hot, the cheese will get too soft and the flautas will be hard to roll.
Warm the tortillas for a few second on each side to make them pliable. You can either do this on a hot dry skillet, on the gas burner itself, or in the microwave for a few seconds. Fill each tortilla with a slice of cheese, and about 1 tablespoon of the sautéed poblano and onion mixture. Roll tightly and seal with a toothpick or two.
**Tip: Whenever you’re making taquitos or enchiladas at home, it’s really important to warm the tortillas up a bit before rolling them. This makes them pliable and will prevent them from tearing. I also secured mine with a toothpick or two so that they stay rolled up during frying!**
Heat 1/2-inch of vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Working with a few at a time (you don’t want to over-crowd the skillet) carefully place them seem side down into the hot oil and fry for 2 to 3 minutes on each side until golden brown.
Transfer to a pate lined with paper towels, to drain off some of that excess oil and then continue frying the rest.
**Note: My tortillas were too thick I believe and so they didn’t stay roll line taquitos or get as crunchy, but they were still delicious! If you want them to look and taste more like taquitos, make sure you use thin corn tortillas. If you want flaky instead of crunchy, use small flour tortillas instead!**
To assemble, arrange the flautas on a platter, then top with lettuce, onion, radish and serrano, if using. Crumble the queso fresco over the flautas and finish of with a drizzle of crema Mexicana and avocado salsa.
Although these are in the appetizer section of the book, I think these would be a delicious meal for dinner! Serve it with rice and beans or a salad and you’ll be good to go!
Panela cheese can be found in the refrigerated Mexican section where the fresh salsas are. I see it all the time in most grocery stores now. It’s a white, fresh and smooth cheese that has a soft and creamy texture to it. It’s perfect for these flautas because it won’t totally melt and ooze out the way Monterey Jack or Cheddar will, making it great for the high heat of the oil you’re frying them in.
**Note: If you can’t find Panela cheese, you can use Farmer’s Cheese, Monterey Jack (in a pinch) or even Paneer oddly enough is a great substitute.**
I’m not one to actively eat vegetarian on a regular basis, but when it’s something this delicious I don’t mind at all. With that being said though, this would be great with some steak or carnitas inside as well. The mushroom though gives it a meaty bite without the meat, and I love it. I hope you’ll give this recipe a try and please don’t forget to check out Chicano Eats and this cookbook!
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, plus more for frying
- 2 medium poblano peppers, stemmed, seeded, and sliced into ¼-inch strips
- 5 ounces cremini mushrooms, sliced
- ½ yellow onion, thinly sliced
- 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- ¼ teaspoon Kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon ground coriander
- ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
- 8 ounces Panela cheese, cut into 4-inch strips, about ½-inch thick
- 12 corn tortillas
- 1 cup shredded lettuce
- ½ yellow onion, diced
- 1 to 2 radishes, thinly sliced
- 1 serrano pepper, thinly sliced (optional)
- 2 to 3 tablespoons crumbled Queso Fresco or Cotija
- ½ cup Crema Mexicana
- 2 to 3 tablespoons avocado salsa
- Place a large skillet over medium-low heat with 2 tablespoons oil. Once hot, add the poblano peppers, onion and mushrooms. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion starts to become translucent, about 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in the garlic and spices and cook for an additional 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and taste the filling and adjust seasoning accordingly, adding more salt or pepper if needed.
- Warm the tortillas for a few second on each side to make them pliable. You can either do this on a hot dry skillet, on the gas burner itself, or in the microwave for a few seconds.
- Heat ½-inch of vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Fill each tortilla with a slice of cheese, and about 1 tablespoon of the sautéed poblano and onion mixture. Roll tightly and seal with a toothpick or two. Working with a few at a time, carefully place them seem side down into the hot oil and fry for 2 to 3 minutes on each side until golden brown. Transfer to a pate lined with paper towels and continue frying the rest.
- To assemble, arrange the flautas on a platter, then top with lettuce, onion, radish and serrano, if using. Crumble the queso fresco over the flautas and finish of with a drizzle of crema Mexicana and avocado salsa. Serve immediately and enjoy!
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