My kids love this!

Mexican Lasagna W/ Black Beans & Corn

Servings: 8

Notes: For those not wanting really spicy, use just diced tomatoes, not those with jalapeno's;

Categories: Casserole Entree

5 large flour tortilla, 10 in
1 1/2 cups frozen corn, yellow kernels
15 ounces black beans, canned, 1 can
14 1/2 ounces diced tomato, with jalapeno's
15 fluid ounces tomato sauce, canned
1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon sugar
1 large egg
16 fluid ounces sour cream, not lite or fat free
2 cups cheese, shredded Mexican , divided
1 bunch green onion, chopped to 1/2 cup
2 1/4 ounces black olive, canned sliced
1 1/2 cups chicken, cooked and shredded

1. Pre-heat oven to 400 f. Spray a 13 x 9 inch baking pan with cooking oil. Set aside.

2. Stack the tortilla's on a cutting sheet, and slice through them lengthwise into 3 strips each. Set aside. Drain corn and black beans, rinse in warm tap water to begin thawing corn. Set aside to drain.

3. Mix in a small bowl the tomatoes with their juice,the tomato sauce, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder and the sugar. Spoon half of the sauce into the bottom of dish. Cover this with 5 of the tortilla strips. It is ok if they overlap.

4. Break and egg and whisk in a med bowl until foamy. Add sour cream and 1 cup of the cheese. Stir and mix well. Spoon half of the sour cream mixture evenly over the tortilla layer and spread it out with the back of a spoon. Scatter half of the corn and bean mixture over the sour cream. At this point add half of the chicken also.

5. Place 5 more tortilla strips over the corn, bean, and chicken layer. Top with remaining sour cream mixture, and the remaining corn, beans and chicken. Place the remaining tortilla strips over the dish. Pour the remaining tomato mixture over the tortilla strips, use the back of a spoon to evenly cover all of the strips to moisten them.

6. Cover the dish with foil, and bake for 30 minutes, or until hot and bubbly. While the dish is baking, Rinse and trim and chop green onions using all of them including the whites and the greens to make a half cup. Set aside, drain olives and set aside.

I came up with this at the request of a client after she had Jicama at a party. I have to make it and keep in her frig on an ongoing basis.

Jicama Salsa

1/2 Jicama, finely diced
1/2 red onion, finely diced
1 Granny Smith apple, finely diced
Kosher Salt, to taste
sugar, to taste
paprika, to taste
chili powder, to taste
lime juice
lime zest
2 Roma tomato, seeded and chopped
1 bunch cilantro, chopped to taste

1. Mix all ingredients in a large mixing bowl and let sit covered in the frig for up to 2 hrs before serving so that all flavors will mix together.

2. Serve with tortilla chips.

This is a must have on Mondays!

Chipotle Mac & Cheese

Servings: 4

Serving Ideas: serve with fresh veggies like green beans or corn.

Source: the Book of Pasta volume 2

8 ounces macaroni, dried, short cut
salt and pepper, to taste
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
3 cups milk, generous
2 teaspoons dijon mustard
1 1/2 cups grated cheddar cheese, or pecorino cheese
4 ounces mozzarella cheese, finely diced
1 cup parmesan cheese, finely grated fresh
4 tablespoons bread crumbs, whole wheat
7 ounces Chipotle Pepper, in adobo sauce
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
1 clove garlic, pressed

1. Cook pasta in a large sauce pan of lightly salted boiling water for 8-10 minutes or until cooked al dente.

2. Meanwhile, melt butter in a separate saucepan, add flour and cook gently for 1 minute, stirring. Gradually whisk in milk and mustard, and cook, whisking continuously, until sauce is smooth and thickened. Simmer gently for 2 minutes, stirring. Stir in cheddar or pecornio cheese, mozzarella, 1/2 cup parmesan, salt and pepper.

3. Drain pasta thoroughly and add cheese sauce. Add chili's, onions, bell peppers and garlic Mix well then transfer to a baking dish.

4. Pre-heat broiler to high. Mix remaining parmesan and bread crumbs and sprinkle over mac and cheese. Broil for a few minutes or until golden brown and bubbling.