Mexican Casserole

I made this the other night. It is my take on the delicious-looking version that Renae posted on I Eat Food (you can see her version here), made with what I had in my pantry. It was *awesome*, thanks to Renae's yummy nacho sauce. Chris devoured it (hence why there are no pictures of it), and requested that it be included in "the rotation," which is our standard dossier of go-to recipes that are sure to please. Thanks again, Renae!

Makes 8 servings
6 WW pts/serving

Nacho Sauce:
1/2 c. flour
1/2 c. nutritional yeast
1 tsp salt
2 garlic cloves, grated
2 c. water
1 Tbsp Earth Balance buttery spread
1 tsp prepared mustard (I used French's yellow)
2 c. your favorite salsa

In a small saucepan, whisk together flour, yeast, salt, garlic, and water until smooth. Cook over medium-low heat until it thickened and coating the back of a spoon. Stir in buttery spread, mustard, and salsa. Cook for 1-2 more minutes until heated through.

For the "Beef" Filling:
1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
1/2 medium red bell pepper, seeded, ribs removed, and finely diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 (14-oz) pkg vegan ground beef (such as Gimme Lean)
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp chili powder

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4 c. spinach, cooked (I just sauteed mine in cooking spray over medium heat until it wilted)
8 corn tortillas
1 c. fat free, vegetarian refried beans
1 c. frozen sweet corn

To Assemble:
(1) Coat a 3-quart baking dish with cooking spray.
(2) Place 2 tortillas on the bottom of the dish. Top with about 1/3 of the "beef" filling, then 1/4 of the nacho sauce, then 1/3 c. of corn.
(3) Spread 1/4 c. of refried beans on each of 2 tortillas, then put them in the dish. Top with 1/4 of "beef" filling, 1/4 of nacho sauce, and 1/3 of corn.
(4) Repeat Step 3 again.
(5) Top with spinach, last 2 tortillas, then last 1/4 of nacho sauce.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes, or until bubbly.

Day Two

Day Two over and done with. It went really well. I made another spinach and black bean burrito for breakfast, with a glass of Spicy Hot V-8. Lunch was leftover pasta and non-meatballs for lunch, with a small salad with Annie's Naturals Roasted Garlic Vinaigrette (I love that stuff!). Some fruit for lunch from the work cafeteria. And still, no Diet Coke! Hooray!

Dinner last night was my take on Mexican: avocado, tomato, and cucumber salad, and baked vegetable burritos (shrimp for Chris). The salad is so delicious that I often want to lick the plate when I'm finished. I especially like to make it in the winter because it feels so summery and refreshing. I forgot to take a photo, but I will in the future. Here's the basic recipe:

Avocado, Tomato, & Cucumber Salad
Serves 4

3 WW pts/serving

1 medium avocado, pitted and cubed
1 medium cucumber, peeled, seeded, and cubed
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
1 handful fresh cilantro, chopped
juice of 2-3 limes
1 tsp sea salt (to taste)
1/2 tsp garlic powder (to taste)
black pepper (to taste)

Combine the cucumber, tomato, cilantro, lime juice, salt, and garlic powder in a large bowl. Fold in avocado, being careful not to mash it. Adjust salt, pepper, and garlic to your taste (I like mine a little more salty). Let sit at room temperature at least 5-10 minutes before serving to allow flavors to develop.

Note: DO NOT serve straight from fridge!