Mexican vegetarian lasagna

2015 .... a first post in the new year.... haven't been blogging ...though I cooked and tried a lot of old and new recipes in the final months of 2014. I find photographing difficult in my kitchen here.... I do not have any natural light.... but, hoping to change and blog more, about the recipes I learnt.

Asian cuisine ingredients are difficult to find here, but you can easily get mexican cuisine stuff. I have started liking mexican food here....and this is one of the mexican inspired recipes.... I have used some store bought ingredients for it, but you can make the sauces at home too. It feeds many and a good recipe to take to a potluck.

Ingredients:

• Corn tortillas 1 pack -- I used about 18 for 3 layers
  
• Picante sauce -- I used Pace brand available in my grocery store, about 1.5 cups
• Salsa sauce -- I used Red Gold medium spicy, about 1.5 cups
• 1 can -- black beans
• 1 can -- pitted and sliced black olives
• 1 red onion
• 200 grams button mushrooms
• 1 green capsicum
• 3 small carrots
• 1 cup frozen corn
• 2 cups mixed mexican/southwestern blend cheese
•  5 cloves garlic
• 2-3 green chilies
• 2 avocadoes
• salt and pepper and about 1-2 tsp olive oil

Recipe:

• Prep and chop the fresh ingredients. Peel and grate the garlic. Wash vegetables and chop the onions, garlic, chilies, mushrooms, capsicum. Defrost the corn.

• Heat the oil in the pan.
• Saute the chopped onions, till they are translucent.

• Add the garlic, chilies, capsicum, carrots, mushrooms and finally the corn.

• Keep sauteing on medium heat till the vegetables are cooked. Add salt and pepper and keep them aside to cool.

• Cut the corn tortillas in half and heat them on a skillet for about 30 seconds each side.

• Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees farenheit.
• Assemble the lasagna.
• Take a glass or metal baking pan. (I used 13*9 glass pan). Layer the bottom of the pan with 2-3 tbsp of salsa sauce.
• Place the corn tortilla halves in single layer on the salsa.
• Spread 2-3 tbsp of picante sauce on top of the tortillas.
• Spread the prepared vegetable layer.
• Sprinkle beans and olives.
• Finally, add cheese.
• Repeat all the layers. 
• I made about 3 layers.

• Top the lasagna with picante sauce and more cheese and olives.
• Bake for about 30-35 minutes. Turn off the oven and leave the lasagna in hot oven for about 5 minutes.
• Take it out and let it rest for 10 minutes more.

• Garnish with chopped avocados and /or sour cream. 

• Serve hot.

Quantity:

• Makes about 8-10 servings.

Notes:

• You can make it with chicken mince. Add about 2 cups of chicken mince to the vegetarian ingredients.
• You can use either salsa or picante, or both.
• Increase or omit cheese and avocados.
• Also, a big tip is to top the lasagna with avocado slices just before serving. Cut the avocados only when you are going to serve. If u leave them they will turn black soon.  (as you see in the following picture )

khakos... a fusion of indian and mexican recipe

I have these dried dark red kidney beans, which I have bought....and they won't cook soft to the consistency, I require to make the popular Punjabi curry-- rajma..., even if, I pressure cook it, for a long time, after soaking for 12-18 hours. I make this fun recipe which uses these kidney beans very well and makes a delicious and quick snack. I have used "khakras". They are thin crispy flatbreads made with wheat flour from Gujarat, usually eaten for breakfast. My son named this dish as ""Khakos""....as a mix from the words "khakra" and "taco". Taco is a crisp mexican flatbread made with maize flour, often stuffed with fillings like grilled chicken, beans, avocado, sour cream, etc... :) 

So here are my fusion "khakos" .... :) 

Ingredients:

• 6-8 pieces of khakra 
  
• 1/2 cup of dried kidney beans (or canned kidney beans)
• 1 onion
• 3/4 pieces of garlic cloves
• salt, pepper, garam masala according to taste...maybe 1/2-1 tsp each
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder(optional)
• 1/4 tsp asafoetida
• 1 carrot
• 2 tomatoes
• 1/2 green capsicum
• 1/2 cup defrosted frozen corn(or fresh corn boiled or steamed)
• 3-5 tbsp mozzarella or cheddar cheese
• a bunch of coriander leaves
• juice of 1/2 lemon
• 1 tsp oil

Recipe:

• Wash the dried kidney beans in tap water and soak them in enough water for about 12-18 hours(overnight).
• Drain the soaking water, fill the container with enough fresh water. Add about a tsp of salt and pressure cook the kidney beans for 15-20 minutes or so... till they are soft and mushy.
• Omit the first two instructions if you are using canned kidney beans. Drain and rinse the canned kidney beans and keep them aside. 

• Grate garlic, chop onion to half. Finely chop one half of the onion, and slice the other half of the onion in long slices. 
• Chop tomatoes, chop the capsicum, grate carrot, grate cheese, defrost frozen corn and chop the coriander leaves.
• Keep it all aside in different bowls or separately on a plate or a cutting board.
• Puree the kidney beans to paste in a food processor or a grinder.

• In a pan, heat a tsp of oil, stir fry the garlic and the onion. 

• Add spices, garam masala  and add the kidney bean paste to the pan. 

• Mix till the onion and spices are mixed with the bean paste.
• Add lemon juice and chopped coriander leaves.
• Transfer the kidney bean paste in a bowl and let it cool.

• Now, keep all the ingredients ready and start assembling the "khakos"

• Make khakos....!!
1. In a plate, place a khakra.
2. Spread the kidney bean paste.
3. Layer with chopped tomatoes.
4. Chopped capsicum.
5. Grated carrot.
6. Onion slices.
7. Boiled corn.
8. Shredded mozzarella or cheddar.
9. Coriander....topped with more lemon juice if needed... :)

• Yumm.... flavorsome and healthy Khakos are ready to bite into ...!!!

• Crunchy base and fresh vegetables makes a delicious snack...!!!

Quantity: 

• about 6-8 

Notes:

• Turmeric is optional. I think the dark color of the bean paste looks better.
• As the canned or even the boiled kidney beans are already salted, be careful while adding more salt ...when further cooking the bean paste.
• You can use other vegetables or even grilled chicken as topping.
• You can use 2 khakras as base(it makes a stronger base)
• Serve immediately as the khakras will go soft in a while.
• You can make this, on a bread toast too, if you do not have khakras.
• You can puree leftover, rajmah curry too...(after removing the whole spices).

Guacamole

Made with Avocados .. this recipe is so simple and made in minutes.