June 22

I don't know about you, but I've never been a fan of the baked tortilla chips (corn chips) that you can buy in the supermarket. Crisp cardboard, in my opinion. So for this recipe, I decided to make my own. Much more delicious -- in fact, they were in danger of being all snavelled before I got to crushing them for the casserole.

Black Bean Chilaquile (serves 4 to 6)
6 six inch (15cm) corn tortillas
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup chopped onions
1 cup chopped tomatoes (I like to blanch them and remove the skins first)
1-1/2 cups fresh or frozen corn kernels
1-1/2 cups cooked black beans (1 can, drained)
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 cups rinsed, stemmed and chopped Swiss chard (from my garden! Yeah!) or spinach
8 ounces grated sharp Cheddar
2 cups red salsa (I used medium heat, and while it was fine for me, it was too hot for Josh. So if you are serving to sensitive palates, you might want to use half salsa and half chopped tomatoes)

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Brush both sides of the tortillas with 1 tbs of the oil. Stack the tortillas and cut the pile into sixths to make chips. Spread the chips out in a single layer on two large baking sheets. Bake until golden brown and crisp, rotating the baking sheets once, about 12 to 15 minutes. Cool for a few minutes, then crush with your hands.

Meanwhile, sauté the onions in the remaining oil for about 8 minutes, until translucent. Stir in the tomatoes, corn, black beans, lime juice, salt and pepper and continue to sauté for another 5 to 10 minutes, until just heated through.

In another saucepan, blanch the greens in boiling water to cover for 1 to 3 minutes, until just wilted but still bright green. Drain immediately and set aside.

Prepare an 8x8 inch (20x20cm) casserole dish or baking pan with a light coating of oil. Spread half of the crushed tortilla chips on the bottom. Spoon the sautéed vegetables over the tortilla chips and sprinkle on about two-thirds of the grated Cheddar. Arrange the greens evenly over the cheese and spoon on half of the salsa. Finish with the rest of the tortilla chips and top with the remaining salsa and Cheddar. Bake for about 35 to 40 minutes until the cheese is bubbling and beginning to brown.