Monday Menu (9/6/10)

For Labor Day, we made some homemade taquitos and chimichangas.  What Bill did was start by heating up the oil in the deep fryer and when it was hot enough (around 360 degrees) he dipped a corn tortilla in the oil for about 2-3 seconds, then removed.  This makes it easier for rolling the taquitos so they don't crack open.  Then after there are about 10 corn tortillas all oiled up. Line up some meat about 1/4 from the edge on the tortillas (we used shredded roast turkey that we cooked in the crockpot over night) and then roll up and stab it with a toothpick.  Bill was able to poke two taquitos through the middles into each other.  He fried them for a minute, then rotated, and fried another minute.  If they didn't look done enough, he rotated a third time and fried another minute longer.  He drained then on a cooling rack with a cookie sheet underneath it to collect the excess dripping oil. 

For the chimichangas, we put a thin spread of beans about 1/4 from the edge, topped with meat (for this one we used ground beef that was cooked, drained, and had taco seasoning added to it), then a good sprinkle of cheese.

To roll up, take the bottom part of the tortilla, wrap up towards the top of the meat and tuck slightly under and hold it tightly together.

Then while holding the middle together, fold the two sides in.

 Then start rolling up.

Then when you roll it all the way up, place a toothpick in it and then deep fry in 360 degree oil for about 2 1/2 minutes on one side, flip, and then about 2 1/2 minutes on the other side.

Put on cooling rack to drip excess oil.

(By the way, don't you just love my mad drawing skills on Paint??)

For dessert, we had something like homemade Twix from this awesome site: Hoosier Homemade.  

They are SO much like Twix bars!  The only thing I would change would be lowering the peanut butter to 1/3 cup and increase the milk chocolate chips to 1 1/3 cups.  I would like to find some way to make a layer of chocolate on the bottom.  Maybe I could line the cake pan with parchment paper, make the topping but put it on the bottom, then while chocolate is still warm, place crackers on top.  Then let it chill in the fridge.  Then make the caramel middle, pour on top, top with crackers again, then chill in fridge again.  Then make the topping again, top the crackers, let chill in fridge until set.  Then slice and enjoy! :)