Triple-Decker Tortilla

Triple-Decker Tortilla

Build a healthy vegetarian main dish with this towering hot tortilla pie. As with many vegetarian dishes, beans substitute for meat while also providing a healthy serving of fiber. Fresh herbs and vegetables make the dish colorful and nutritious.

Ingredients

Nonfat cooking spray
1 cup canned pinto beans, rinsed and drained
2 tablespoons bottled sliced jalapeno peppers (optional)
1 cup salsa
4 6-ounce corn tortillas
1/2 cup frozen whole-kernel corn
1/2 cup shredded reduced-fat Monterey jack cheese
1/2 avocado, seeded, peeled, and chopped
1 tablespoon fresh cilantro leaves

Method

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Lightly coat a 9-inch pie plate with cooking spray.
Mash the beans; stir in jalapeno peppers, if desired. In a skillet cook and stir the beans over medium heat for 2 minutes; set aside.

Spoon 1/4 cup of the salsa into bottom of the pie plate. Layer in order, 1 tortilla, half of the warm beans, another tortilla, the corn, half of the cheese, 1/4 cup more salsa, the third tortilla, remaining beans, remaining tortilla, and salsa.

Cover with foil. Bake 12 minutes. (Or, cover with microwave-safe plastic wrap; micro-cook on high power for 4 minutes, giving a half-turn once.) Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake, uncovered, 3 minutes more (or micro-cook 30 seconds more). Sprinkle with avocado and cilantro. Makes 4 main-dish servings.