Layered Tamale Casserole

Yet another Cooking Light, recipe. Yum! I love the zucchini and red pepper together. The preparation for this doesn't take as long as you might think, since everything is pretty easy to chop.

1/4 cup water
2 (15-ounce) cans black beans, drained
Cooking spray
3 cups sliced onion (about 2 large)
2-1/2 cups thinly sliced zucchini (about 2 medium)
1-3/4 cups (1/4-inch) julienne-cut red bell pepper (about 2 medium)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup frozen whole-kernel corn, thawed
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
5 (8-inch) flour tortillas [Julie's note: Or just use 10-inch tortillas, if that's what you're going to use more of in your regular life]
1-1/4 cups green taco sauce
1-1/2 cups (6 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Place water and beans in a food processor; process until smooth. Set aside.
Place a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat until hot.
Add onion, zucchini, bell pepper, and garlic; saute 10 minutes. Add corn, cumin, and ground red pepper; cook 2 minutes. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 3-quart round souffle dish with cooking spray [Julie's note: What? Who has a souffle dish? I just did fewer layers in a regular casserole pan]. Place 1 tortilla in bottom. Spread 1/2 cup bean mixture over tortilla. Spoon 1 cup onion mixture over top. Top with 1/4 cup sauce. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup cheese. Repeat with remaining ingredients, ending with 1/2 cup cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until thoroughly heated.

YIELD: 8 servings (serving size: 1-1/2 cups)

NUTRITIONAL INFO
CALORIES 290 (28% from fat); PROTEIN 14.6g; FAT 9g; CARB 39.7g; CHOL 17mg; SODIUM 538mg