Vegan sweet corn and green chile baked flautas

Thank you to Sheryl Cullina for testing out this recipe, approving it, and posting it on facebook!  When she wrote, "You won't miss the cheese," I called her a liar because IT'S CHEESE.  But you honestly don't miss it, or the meat!  These are delicious, reheat well, and were even approved by my one-year-old son.  Website: http://www.therubyspoon.com/?p=12003

Sweet Corn & Green Chile Baked Flautas

A flauta, (meaning flute) is usually a flour tortilla rolled around a savory filling, then fried until crisp. Taquitos are similar, but are usually made with corn tortillas. Either way, I hope it’s something you have eaten before, because they are delicious and fun to eat. These are baked until crispy and the filling is simple, but so delicious, you won’t even be missing meat or cheese. I used flour tortillas for David and Rudi’s gluten free tortillas for myself. The gf tortillas are not generally my favorite (I usually use corn tortillas for a substitute), but they work perfectly in this recipe because they turned brown and crispy-even more so than the flour tortillas- which made them taste 100 times better than they are soft. On a side note, I have really been enjoying Thug Kitchen, both for its recipes and also for the irreverent tone and pervasive profanity (as the subtitle will hint at). It’s certainly a refreshing addition to my cookbook collection and unlike anything I have read or cooked from before. The recipes are vegan, and some of the tastiest I have come across. Just don’t buy this book for your sweet, old granny.

from: Thug Kitchen
Makes: about 12 flautas using standard flour tortillas

cooking spray
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 cup chopped yellow or white onion (about 1/2 onion)
2 teaspoons chili powder
3/4 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 to 5 cloves garlic, chopped
3 cups cooked pinto beans (two 15 oz. cans)
1 can (4 oz.) green chiles
juice of 1/2 lime
1 cup sweet corn kernels (fresh if possible)
12 flour tortillas

topping ideas

guacamole (I made mine with jalapeño, yellow onion, cilantro, lime juice, kosher salt and a tiny bit of garlic powder)
pico de gallo
salsa
lettuce
hot sauce

Preheat oven to 400 F. Lightly oil a large baking sheet, or coat it with a little cooking spray.

Heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat and add the onion. Cook until the onion starts to brown, about 5 minutes. Add the chili powder, cumin, salt and garlic and cook for another 30 seconds and then turn off the heat.

In a large bowl, mash together the beans, chilies, and lime juice with a spoon or masher until a paste forms. Leave a few beans un-mashed for added texture.

Fold in the corn and sautéed onions and stir.

Wrap the stack of tortillas in parchment paper and microwave until warm and pliable, about 15 seconds. Heap about 2 tablespoons of the filling and spread in a line toward the edge of the left side of one of the torillas from top to bottom. You can even put a small smear of beans toward the other end of the tortilla to help it stay shut. Tightly roll the tortilla from left to right. Place the flauta seam side down on the baking sheet. Repeat with remaining mixture and tortillas.

Lightly coat the flautas with cooking spray and bake for 10 minutes. Check to make sure the bottoms are golden, if not, continue baking for another couple of minutes. When the bottoms are golden brown, turn them over with tongs and bake an additional 5 to 7 minutes, or until they are golden and crispy on both sides. Serve warm with toppings of your choice.