Cooking in the Summertime

Has anyone out there tried to cook a meal in a house without air conditioning? 

In July? 

In San Bernardino??

I am dying out here!!!

But the “show” must go on. I will take my 3^rd shower of the day later.

Mini Beef and Bean Chimis

Serves 3

Ingredients:

6-9inch flour tortillas

1lb of lean ground beef

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1 tablespoon granulated garlic

1 cup shredded medium cheddar cheese (We’re Tillamook people here)

1 stick of butter/margarine (don’t worry, you won’t use it all!)

Salt to taste

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Take the ground beef and sauté over medium high heat with the cumin and half the garlic. Cook until no pink remains. Drain off the fat and return to the pan.

Put the drained beans in a saucepan and cook for a couple minutes with a tablespoon of water and the remainder of the garlic.

Put a couple tablespoons of meat, beans and cheese in the bottom third of each tortilla.

Roll the tortillas so they are closed. Generally, I will roll the entire thing once, then tuck the ends in and roll once more. Rest them on the the folded part so they don't pop open on you.

Spray a cookie sheet with cooking spray, and place the chimis on the sheet.

Rub the stick of butter on the outsides of the chimis. This will cause them to crisp up and brown slightly in the oven, which is what you’re going for. Traditionally chimis (chimichangas) are deep-fried, but the baking saves you a lot of the fat, and a lot of the cleanup as well.

Bake in the oven for about 15 minutes, or until they are golden brown and crisp.

After they are done, open the freezer door and stick your head in to cool down. Or drink a margarita. That helps too.