This dish is a rich and filling vegetarian comfort food like lasagna with a southwestern flair. Pair it with a salad for a warming Autumn dinner.
you will need:
1 medium zucchini sliced thinly
1 large ear of corn with kernels cut from the cob. If you stand the ear in a large bowl it will catch the kernels without them jumping all over the kitchen.
1/2 onion diced into small to medium sized pieces
2 cloves of garlic minced
1-2 cans of whole roasted green chilies sliced into 1/4 inch strips
A word here about chilies. Chilies come in a wide variety and many are local species. Where I live flame roasted green chili is a way of life. Each autumn the smell of chilies being roasted outside of the local grocery is like the turning of the leaves. In other places local chilies flavor many of the local foods. Which chili type you prefer will depend on your heat desire index and where you presently live and how you grew up. I grew up in a family that used tomato sauce for enchiladas- no heat there. Now, after living in the desert southwest for 25 years, I love raw jalapenos in my salad and green chilies in just about everything. The point is= use the chili that you love in an amount that will definitely impart flavor without burning your mouth down. Habenaros are HOT, Serranos and jalapenos are Hot, green chilies can be hot, (you will have to know your source), pablanos/passillas are smoky flavored without the heat. Roasted red peppers in a jar have no heat at all. Adobo is roasted red jalapenos and they tend to be Hot. The heat in the peppers is in the seeds and the inner rinds, if you remove them prior to cooking you will have a milder chili. If your'e not sure try the pablano peppers, dice a medium to large one and cook in with the aromatics and veggies. You will get a lovely chili flavor and very little to no heat. If you find you would have preferred a bit of heat, try it next time with the canned green chilies or an even hotter variety. Chilies are so versatile... I just love them! Warning! the green chilies that I used when I was working out the measurements were freshly roasted and HOT! I loved it , but my nose was running, ahh New Mexico Green chilies. :D
6-8 corn tortillas
1- 1 1/2 cup sour cream(reg or light) or you can use Greek yogurt and some extra for a garnish
2- 2 1/4 cups of your favorite cheese shredded: I recommend 4 cheese Mexican blend, Monterey jack or cheddar
1-2 tsp grape seed oil
cooking spray for bake dish
Optional: cilantro leaves for garnish
green onions sliced thinly for garnish
fresh tomato finely chopped or thinly sliced for garnish
sliced avocado for garnish
salt and pepper to taste( I use neither: there is plenty of salt in the cheese and we are going for a different kind of pepper taste here...you be the judge)
Put the oil in a frying pan on medium heat, heating it slightly before adding the onions, garlic and fresh chili peppers if you are using them, corn and zucchini slices. Cook until the onions are translucent and zucchini slices have begun to soften. Turn off the heat and let cool as you prepare the rest of the dish.
Mix 1 1/2 cups of the shredded cheese with the sour cream in a mixing bowl. The mixture should be slightly on the dry side, not too heavy on the sour cream.
Warm the tortillas in the microwave until soft and flexible, meanwhile spray a glass loaf pan with the cooking spray coating the bottom and sides. A round glass casserole will work as well but you may need a few more tortillas to cover each layer.
Place 2 tortillas on the bottom of the pan and spread 1/3 of the cheese/sour cream mixture onto the tortillas, place a layer of chilies and 1/3 of the veggie mixture on top of that and sprinkle with a thin layer of shredded cheese, repeat for 2 more layers ( if you cooked your chilies in with the veggies you will not have a separate chili layer). Top last layer of veggies with a slightly thicker layer of shredded cheese. Place loaf pan on cookie sheet to catch any spillover. Cover with foil and bake in a 350 degree for 15 minutes. Remove the foil and continue to bake for an additional 15 minutes or until cheese on top is bubbly and browned slightly. Let sit on a cooling rack for at least 5-7 minutes before serving, garnish with dollop of sour cream and the other garnishes as you like.
Serves 6 to 8.
you will need:
1 medium zucchini sliced thinly
1 large ear of corn with kernels cut from the cob. If you stand the ear in a large bowl it will catch the kernels without them jumping all over the kitchen.
1/2 onion diced into small to medium sized pieces
2 cloves of garlic minced
1-2 cans of whole roasted green chilies sliced into 1/4 inch strips
A word here about chilies. Chilies come in a wide variety and many are local species. Where I live flame roasted green chili is a way of life. Each autumn the smell of chilies being roasted outside of the local grocery is like the turning of the leaves. In other places local chilies flavor many of the local foods. Which chili type you prefer will depend on your heat desire index and where you presently live and how you grew up. I grew up in a family that used tomato sauce for enchiladas- no heat there. Now, after living in the desert southwest for 25 years, I love raw jalapenos in my salad and green chilies in just about everything. The point is= use the chili that you love in an amount that will definitely impart flavor without burning your mouth down. Habenaros are HOT, Serranos and jalapenos are Hot, green chilies can be hot, (you will have to know your source), pablanos/passillas are smoky flavored without the heat. Roasted red peppers in a jar have no heat at all. Adobo is roasted red jalapenos and they tend to be Hot. The heat in the peppers is in the seeds and the inner rinds, if you remove them prior to cooking you will have a milder chili. If your'e not sure try the pablano peppers, dice a medium to large one and cook in with the aromatics and veggies. You will get a lovely chili flavor and very little to no heat. If you find you would have preferred a bit of heat, try it next time with the canned green chilies or an even hotter variety. Chilies are so versatile... I just love them! Warning! the green chilies that I used when I was working out the measurements were freshly roasted and HOT! I loved it , but my nose was running, ahh New Mexico Green chilies. :D
6-8 corn tortillas
1- 1 1/2 cup sour cream(reg or light) or you can use Greek yogurt and some extra for a garnish
2- 2 1/4 cups of your favorite cheese shredded: I recommend 4 cheese Mexican blend, Monterey jack or cheddar
1-2 tsp grape seed oil
cooking spray for bake dish
Optional: cilantro leaves for garnish
green onions sliced thinly for garnish
fresh tomato finely chopped or thinly sliced for garnish
sliced avocado for garnish
salt and pepper to taste( I use neither: there is plenty of salt in the cheese and we are going for a different kind of pepper taste here...you be the judge)
Put the oil in a frying pan on medium heat, heating it slightly before adding the onions, garlic and fresh chili peppers if you are using them, corn and zucchini slices. Cook until the onions are translucent and zucchini slices have begun to soften. Turn off the heat and let cool as you prepare the rest of the dish.
Mix 1 1/2 cups of the shredded cheese with the sour cream in a mixing bowl. The mixture should be slightly on the dry side, not too heavy on the sour cream.
Warm the tortillas in the microwave until soft and flexible, meanwhile spray a glass loaf pan with the cooking spray coating the bottom and sides. A round glass casserole will work as well but you may need a few more tortillas to cover each layer.
Place 2 tortillas on the bottom of the pan and spread 1/3 of the cheese/sour cream mixture onto the tortillas, place a layer of chilies and 1/3 of the veggie mixture on top of that and sprinkle with a thin layer of shredded cheese, repeat for 2 more layers ( if you cooked your chilies in with the veggies you will not have a separate chili layer). Top last layer of veggies with a slightly thicker layer of shredded cheese. Place loaf pan on cookie sheet to catch any spillover. Cover with foil and bake in a 350 degree for 15 minutes. Remove the foil and continue to bake for an additional 15 minutes or until cheese on top is bubbly and browned slightly. Let sit on a cooling rack for at least 5-7 minutes before serving, garnish with dollop of sour cream and the other garnishes as you like.
Serves 6 to 8.
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