TURKEY TAQUITOS

Turkey Taquitos image

Provided by Melissa d'Arabian : Food Network

Time 33m

Yield 18 servings

Number Of Ingredients 19

2 cups plus 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/2 white onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon minced jalapeno
1 1/2 cups shredded turkey
1 1/2 cups shredded jack cheese
1/2 cup Mexican-flavored canned tomatoes, drained and chopped
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
18 white or yellow corn tortillas
Serving suggestion: Serve with Cranberry Salsa, recipe follows.
1/2 cup canned whole cranberry sauce
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
Zest and juice of 1 lime
1 jalapeno, coarsely chopped
1/2 white onion coarsely chopped, covered and microwaved for 1 minute
1/4 cup diced red bell pepper
1/4 cup diced green bell pepper
1/2 cup Mexican-flavored canned tomatoes, drained and chopped
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Steps:

Sweat the onion, garlic, and jalapeno in a saute pan with 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil. Remove from the heat and add to a large bowl. To the bowl, add the shredded turkey, cheese, tomatoes and season with salt, and pepper, to taste. Mix the ingredients thoroughly.
Warm the tortillas in the microwave for 10 seconds so they are pliable.
Fill the tortillas with a tablespoon of filling and roll into a thin taquito, securing with a toothpick. Keep the taquitos covered with a damp towel before cooking otherwise the corn tortillas will dry out and crack. Heat 2 cups oil in a straight-sided pan to 350 degrees F. Place the taquitos in the hot oil in batches and shallow fry until crisp, rolling to cook all sides, about 3 minutes.
Drain the taquitos on paper towels and salt. Remove the toothpicks before serving.
Place the cranberry sauce, cilantro, lime zest, lime juice, jalapeno pepper, onion, red pepper, green pepper, tomatoes, and salt, and pepper, to taste in a food processor and pulse until blended, but still chunky. Serve with Turkey Taquitos.