Garbanzo Chimichangas

Has it really been 17 years since I worked at Medleys learning to produce aromatic homemade breads, delicious Cucumber Dill Salad Dressing, speciality cheesecakes, Tofu Foo Yung with its amazing sauces, and -- a favorite -- GARBANZO CHIMICHANGAS? When we made Chimichangas, I had to pull out the calling list and we could be sold out before lunch.

GARBANZO (or chic pea) CHIMICHANGAS are still a favorite of mine and they are simple to make. With everything prepped ahead of time, Chimis are easily assembled and ready to quickly cook for a family supper, home parties or potlucks.



GARBANZO CHIMICHANGAS

Ingredients...
3 cups cooked garbanzo beans (chic peas), mashed

2 T. vegetable oil
1 small cooking onion, diced
2 medium carrots, diced
4 large garlic cloves, minced (I subbed 1 tsp. garlic powder)
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1 medium green bell pepper, diced
2 jalapeño peppers, seeds removed, peppers diced
6 oz. can tomato paste
1 tsp. cumin powder
1 tsp. table salt
1/2 tsp. turmeric
10-12 small (soft) tortillas
grated sharp (or extra sharp) cheddar cheese



Instructions...
1. Mash garbanzo beans in a large bowl.
2. Sauté in oil: onions, carrots, garlic and oregano
3. Add both peppers and cook two more minutes.
4. Stir hot mixture into beans.
5. Add and stir: tomato paste, cumin, salt and turmeric.
6. Assemble chimis (see photo and directions below)
7. Cook over medium heat in small amount of vegetable oil, using pan with high sides. Don’t cook too many at one time. Space them out in the pan. Add oil as needed.
8. When browned, turn. Keep turning as they cook until brown and crisp on all sides.
9. Drain on plate covered with paper towels.
10. Serve with shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes and sour cream.



Assemble the chimichangas...
1. Spread 1/3 cup of the mixture across the tortilla, slightly below the center, and sprinkle it with cheese.
2. Fold the bottom up and over the mixture.
3. Fold each side in toward the center.
4. Roll the tortilla away from you.

In the spirit of good health and weight control, I purchased shredded Reduced-Fat 4-Cheese Mexican cheese instead of cheddar cheese. Never again. GARBANZO CHIMICHANGAS need -- no, they deserve! -- full-fat sharp or extra-sharp cheddar.

The same goes for the sour cream. I tried the reduced fat. No! This ingredient, too, needs to be full fat.

Oh, one more thing ~ You’ll notice a dish of oil and a pastry brush in two of the pictures. I brushed some of the chimis with oil, then baked them on a cookie sheet in the oven, trying 375-degrees for the first ten minutes, then turning them and baking at 400-degrees. They didn’t get that nice brown color or the crispness. Maybe if I’d baked them at 400 for the entire time... Back to the tried and true method of cooking them in the pan on the stovetop.




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TV TRAY

As a single person, I sometimes (often?) take my meal to the living room and eat off a TV tray while watching a movie or documentary. TV tray meals are usually cobbled-together with whatever happens to be in the kitchen, no measurements recorded.

All-Grain Sandwich Thin with veggie dogs, swiss cheese, Miracle Whip and yellow mustard; red leafy lettuce with store-bought Thousand Island Dressing, and; mangoes and kiwi sprinkled with fresh lemon juice.

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