Blue Corn Flautas

This recipe comes from Dave DeWitt's book, The Southwest Table. The word "flauta" (flaow-tah) means "flute" in Spanish, an allusion to the rolled shape of the tortillas in this dish.

Ingredients

1 pound ground beef
1/2 cup chopped New Mexican green chiles that have been roasted, peeled, seeds and stems removed
1 red bell pepper, seeds and stem removed, julienned
1 yellow bell pepper, seeds and stem removed, julienned
1 onion, thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cumin

12 blue corn tortillas (substitute regular yellow corn tortillas if you don't have blue corn tortillas on hand)
Vegetable oil for frying

Garnishes:
1 cup of your favorite salsa
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
1 cup shredded lettuce
1 cup guacamole
1 cup chopped tomatoes

Instructions

Brown the beef in a skillet and drain the excess fat.  Add the chiles, bell peppers, onions, salt, cumin, and cook until the onions and bell peppers are soft.

In another skillet, fry the tortillas in the oil for a few seconds until soft.  Remove and drain on paper towels.  Place the beef mixture in the center of the tortillas, roll up the tortillas, and secure with toothpicks.  Fry the flautas in oil until crisp.

Set the flautas out in a pan, and let your guests top with the lettuce salsa, cheese, guacamole, and tomatoes.