The Mail-Order Catalog for Healthy Eating

A Southwestern Supper

You'll find lots of Southwestern recipes in Great American Vegetarian

Baked Rice with Cheese and Green Chiles
Frijoles Borrachos
Tortilla Casserole
Vegan Nachos with Chile con Queso

Additions to the menu: Serve with warm flour tortillas, sautéed summer squash, and a simple salad of greens and tomatoes

Years ago, my husband and I traveled some 6,500 miles by car to research the regional food traditions of the U. S. (with a vegetarian point of view). Eating traditional foods, though, was sometimes tricky. The South's famous bean dishes, for instance, were more often than not "seasoned" with fatback, or some such thing; In New Orleans, normally a food-lover's mecca, we were rather sunk (with the exception of the fabulous Creole breakfasts) because we didn't eat seafood. All of that changed, though, when we reached the Southwest.

For those who respond to the earthy yet exotic (and very spicy) food of this region, it's paradise. Even vegetarians can eat very well, any time of day, from chili and scrambled egg burritos for breakfast to an array of tostadas and enchiladas for supper. But as I learned, Southwestern cookery is not only about tortilla dishes. Try this hearty, authentic menu. Of course, it doesn't hurt to have some warm tortillas on the side!

BAKED RICE WITH CHEESE AND GREEN CHILIES
Serves: 6 or more

In this Southwestern casserole, the chilies and cilantro lend a marvelous flavor to an otherwise simple casserole.

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
4 cups cooked brown rice (from about 1 1/2 cups raw)
8 ounces grated organic cheddar cheese or cheddar-style soy cheese
1 cup part-skim ricotta cheese, preferably organic
1 to 2 fresh jalapeño peppers, seeded and minced, or one to two 4-ounce cans chopped mild green chilies
1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Heat the oil in a small skillet. Add the onion and sauté over low heat until lightly browned.

In a mixing bowl, combine the onion with the rice and all the remaining ingredients. Stir together thoroughly. Pour the mixture into a lightly oiled, 1 1/2-quart baking casserole. Bake for 35 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and bubbly.

FRIJOLES BORRACHOS
Serves: 6 or more

The word borracho was a 19th century term for a drunkard, so this recipe's name literally means "drunken pinto beans." Simmering the pintos in beer, with lots of cilantro, results in a very special flavor.

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup chopped ripe tomatoes or 1 cup canned diced tomatoes
2 large scallions, chopped
4 cups cooked pinto beans
1/2 cup beer
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced, or one 4-ounce can chopped mild green chilies
Salt to taste

Heat the oil in a large skillet. Add the tomatoes and scallions and sauté over medium-low heat for 2 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients and stir together, then simmer, covered, over low heat for 30 minutes. If there's too much liquid in the skillet at this time, cook, uncovered, until it thickens up a bit. Serve hot.

TORTILLA CASSEROLE
Serves: 6

Here's my favorite in-a-hurry casserole to make when craving southwestern flavors. It involves throwing together a lot of convenient ingredients like canned beans and tomatoes, and frozen corn, but it's unbelievably good when you need an emergency dinner. In the 12 to 15 minutes that this is in the oven, steam a big batch of broccoli and make a simple salad of mixed baby greens, carrots, tomatoes, and bell peppers.

One 16-ounce can pinto, pink, or black beans, drained and rinsed
One 16--ounce can crushed tomatoes
One 4-ounce can chopped mild green chilies
2 cups frozen corn kernels, thawed
2 scallions, minced
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
8 corn tortillas
1 1/2 cups grated nondairy Monterey Jack, cheddar, or jalapeno cheese
Salsa for topping

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Combine the first 7 ingredients in a mixing bowl. Mix thoroughly.

Lightly oil a wide, 2-quart casserole dish and layer as follows: 4 tortillas, overlapping one another; half of the bean mixture; half of the cheese. Repeat the layers.

Bake the casserole for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbly. Let stand for a minute or two, then cut into squares to serve. Pass around salsa to top each serving

VEGAN NACHOS WITH CHILE CON QUESO
Serves 8 or more as an appetizer

A southwestern appetizer that's become popular everywhere, this is an enticingly rich dish of melted cheese and chiles enveloping crisp tortilla wedges. Though customarily made with jalapeños, you can substitute mild green chiles if you prefer a tamer flavor.

12 corn tortillas
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 small onion, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 medium ripe tomato, finely chopped
1 to 2 jalapeño peppers, to taste, seeded and thinly sliced, or one 4-ounce can chopped mild green chiles
1 tablespoon unbleached white flour
3 tablespoons rice milk
8 ounces grated vegancheddar cheese

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Cut the tortillas into six even wedges each (kitchen shears are perfect for this) and spread them on 1 or 2 large cookie sheets. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until they are dry and crisp. Remove and allow to cool.

Heat the oil in a large saucepan. Add the onion and garlic and sauté over low heat until golden.

Add the chopped tomato and jalapeños and cook for a minute or so, just until the tomato softens. Sprinkle in the flour until well blended, then stir in the rice milk.

Add the cheese and cook, stirring, until it is smoothly melted. Remove from the heat.

Spread the tortilla wedges on a large serving platter. Pour the cheese sauce over them and serve at once.

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