Southwestern Lasagne

INGREDIENTS

½   pound ground beef

½   cup Mexican spicy salsa

2    tablespoons olive oil

½   medium white onion, chopped

4    cloves garlic, minced

1    poblano pepper, seeded, chopped small

1-2    jalapeno peppers, seeded, chopped small (optional*)

1    can (15 ounces) diced tomatoes

2    tablespoons lime juice

2    tablespoons dried cilantro

2    tablespoons ground cumin

12   8 inch corn tortillas

1    can (15 ounces) black beans, drained, rinsed

2    cups corn kernels

8    slices pepper jack cheese

4    slices sharp cheddar cheese

METHOD

Preheat the oven to 325 F and grease the sides and bottom of a 8 by 8 inch baking dish. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add the ground beef. Stir and mix the ground beef with a fork until it is completely separated and browned and add the salsa, thoroughly mixing. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes and remove from the skillet to a bowl, rinsing out the skillet.

Place the onions and garlic into a food processor and pulse until chopped fine. Dry the skillet and place it back on the heat. Add the olive oil,  the onions and garlic. Cook this until the onion is softened, about 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Put the peppers into the same food processor and pulse these until finely chopped. Add to the skillet and continue to cook until they are softened, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add the diced tomatoes, lime juice, cilantro and cumin, stirring to thoroughly combine. Bring to a boil, lower the heat to a simmer and cook for 10 to 15 minutes until the pepper pieces are tender.  Remove from the heat.

Cut 6 of the tortillas in half. Spread ¼ cup of the sauce into the prepared baking dish. Place four of the cut tortillas - cut sides out - in the baking dish. Place a full tortilla on top of these. Spread ¼ of the sauce, add 1/3 of the corn, the beans and the hamburger mix. Cover with pepper jack cheese slices. Make 2 more layers the same covering the top with cheddar cheese and the remaining sauce. Place into the oven and bake for 25 minutes.

*NOTES: The jalapeno peppers get their heat from the white inner parts that hold the seeds. To lower the heat, remove some or all of this from the jalapenos or only use one pepper. The poblano is not a heat problem.

Adapted from a recipe in All Recipes magazine