Things to Make - Black Bean Chilaquile

I'm not the type of person who has a lot of stock recipes, rather I'm always searching Cooking Light & Everyday Food for something new and exciting. My mom is the same way, she can't even remember most of the recipes from my childhood. All that being said, there are a few recipes and cookbooks I return to time after time. My favorite cookbook is Moosewood Restaurant Low-Fat Favorites: Flavorful Recipes for Healthful Meals, as demonstrated by the fact that my copy is in tatters. And of that cookbook my favorite recipe happens to be blackbean chilaquile, a mexican-type casserole. I could live on this stuff, it's that good.

Here's the scoop:

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup chopped onions
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup chopped tomatoes
1.5 cups frozen corn kernels
1.5 cups cooked black beans (15 ounce can, drained)
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 teaspoon salt
0.5 teaspoon black pepper
2 cups rinsed and stemmed swiss chard or spinach
2 cups crushed baked tortilla chips
8 ounces grated fat-free sharp Cheddar cheese
2 cups Mexican-style red salsa

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Saute the onions in the oil until translucent (about 8 minutes). Stir in tomatoes, corn, black beans, lime juice, salt, & pepper and continue to saute for another 5-10 minutes. Meanwhile, in another saucepan blanch the greens in boiling water to cover for 1-3 minutes. Drain immediately and set aside.

Prepare an 8x8 casserole dish with a light cooking of oil or cooking spray. Spread half the tortilla chips on the bottom. Spoon the sauteed veggies over the tortilla chips and sprinkle on about two-thirds of the cheese. Arrange the greens evenly over the cheese and spoon on half the salsa. Finish with the rest of the tortilla chips and top with the remaining salsa and cheddar. Back for 35-40 minutes, until the cheese begins to brown.

Makes six servings, each one is approximately 245 calories and 4 grams of fat.

RECIPES I WANT TO TRY:

*Quinoa burgers.

*Avocado fries.

*Greek nachos.

*Penne with roasted asparagus and balsamic butter.