MexiCAN

Subtle Barack Obama reference in the title. Booyah midterm elections.  The title also refers to how awesome Mexican food is for those of us with gluten allergies.  Most sauces aren't thickened with anything artificial.  Corn tortillas are in abundance in awesome dishes like nachos and enchiladas.  Win - Win.

I like making enchiladas but am supremely lazy and get annoyed rolling them out and getting them to stay put.  The below is my favorite weeknight Mexican.  I whip this whole thing up in around 30 minutes, baked for 15 while I clean up the kitchen and voila, 6 servings of yum.

Mexican Lasagna

6 small corn tortillas
16 oz crushed or diced tomatoes
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
10 oz mushrooms, washed and thinly sliced
1 can black beans, rinsed
1 lb ground chicken
1 1/2 cups shredded Mexican cheese
EVOO
pinch of kosher salt
cilantro (optional, if you are genetically mutated and don't like it. if you do, get these)
cumin
brown sugar
chili powder (more if you like spicy/smoky less if you are a pussy)
garlic powder

Get a large skillet HOT.  Add in some EVOO.  After it heats for 30 sec, add half of your chopped ion and 2 cilantro cubes (or 2 tsp fresh cilantro).  Once onions are transluscent, add mushrooms.  As mushrooms release water, add chicken, breaking up with a non wooden spoon so you don't die of a bacterial infection.  Add a tsp of cumin, tsp or two of chili powder and a teeny pinch of kosher salt.

While the chicken browns, start your sauce.  Add EVOO to medium sized, heated sauce pan.  Add the remainder of your onions. Once those become transluscent, add tomatoes and seasonings.  I like to do a T of cumin, 3 T of chili powder, a T of garlic and 1 T of brown sugar.  Sometimes I will add 4 - 6 ounces of water to thin it out a bit, especially if I am using crushed tomatoes. Let this simmer and keep tasting to get the flavor you want, adding a pinch of salt if desired.  Usually by the time the chicken cooks, the sauce only needs a few minutes to gel.  I usually add dried cilantro toward the end too, because I am obsessed.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  Grab a 13 x 9 pyrex/baking dish.

When chicken is browned, add your rinsed black beans and allow the veggie and chicken mixture to come together.  After a minute or two on the heat, kill it.

Add a few tablespoons of sauce to the bottom of the baking dish.  Place two corn tortillas at the bottom of your dish on top of the sauce.  Add 1/3 of your chicken and veggie mixture.  Ladle on a generous amount of sauce.  Sprinkle some cheese.  Place two more corn tortillas down, this time adding sauce on top of them.  Add meat/veggie mixture, cheese and repeat until done, reserving some extra cheese and sauce for the top.  End with corn tortillas on top, with sauce and cheese layered on top of that. 

Bake for 15 minutes.  Enjoy!

Serves 6

Nutritional Info: 372 calories, 17g of fat, 103mg cholesterol, 600mg sodium, 29g carbs, 6.4g fiber, 8g sugar, 26g protein.