Watercress Potato Taquitos by Ericka Sanchez

I started thinking of some of my favorite meals as a kid and brainstormed on how to make them healthier for my son. One of my all-time favorite meals then and now is potato taquitos. Mashed potatoes with cheese rolled in a tortilla and deep fried until golden brown. Sounds amazing, doesn’t it? But it’s not so good for you.

I decided to give potato taquitos a healthy twist by adding watercress to the stuffing, minimizing the cheese quantity and frying in grapeseed oil. Taquitos are traditionally served with cream and lettuce on top, but this time, I decided to garnish with a bit of cotija cheese, fresh chopped tomatoes, and more watercress.

I consider watercress the best green leafy vegetable in the world. When I found out that watercress is an anti-carcinogen, an aid in cardiovascular health, bone health and high in folate, I had to crown it king of all greens.

Watercress can be incorporated in other dishes, such as soups, salads, smoothies and stir frys. Its peppery taste improves the flavor of any meal, and it is easy to prepare. Not to mention inexpensive.

My son loved his new and improved potato watercress taquitos. Not only are they nostalgic for me, they’re delicious and better for my entire family.

For more recipes, please visit my blog Nibbles and Feasts. Thank you, B&W Quality Growers, for the opportunity to prepare meals with your product and to be a guest writer on your blog.

Ingredients

Makes 16

• 4 cups water
• 2 medium russet potatoes (about 1 ½ cups)
• ½ teaspoon garlic salt
• ½ cup Muenster cheese, shredded
• ½ cup watercress, finely chopped, plus extra sprigs for garnish
• 16 corn tortillas, warmed
• grapeseed oil (or any other oil for frying)
• ¾ cup tomato, chopped
• ¼ cup Cotija cheese, crumbled
• fresh jalapeño slices for garnish
• salsa for serving

Directions

1. Place water in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil and add the potatoes. Boil for 20 minutes or until potatoes are fork tender. Remove from heat and let cool completely.
2. Remove potato peels and place in a large mixing bowl. Mash and add garlic salt, cheese and watercress. Mix until all ingredients have combined and resemble mashed potatoes consistency.
3. In a heavy frying pan over medium heat, add grape seed oil until it measures a depth of 1/4 inch.
4. Place 1 tablespoon of potato/watercress mixture on each warm tortilla and roll tightly. Repeat with remaining mixture. Working in batches of 4 to 5, place each rolled tortilla seam-down in hot oil. Fry for 1 minute on each side or until golden brown.
5. Place fried taquitos on a plate lined with paper towels to absorb excess oil.
6. Arrange on a serving platter or large plate. Top with chopped tomato, Cotija cheese, jalapeño slices and watercress sprigs. Serve with your favorite salsa and enjoy.