Dragonwagon Zona Rosa Chilequiles

Need something for dinner tonight? Here is what is going down in the Monk's house tonight.

There is a wonderful lady named Crescent Dragonwagon (yes, that's her name but that is another story) who is an award winning cookbook author, children's book author, vegetarian cook and much more.
She has several cookbooks The Passionate Vegetarian , The Dairy Hollow House Cookbook and The Dairy Hollow House Soup & Bread. She and her late husband Ned ran a much acclaimed Ozark country inn called the Dairy Hollow House. She now lives in Vermont.

I have taken the liberty of borrowing one of her best recipes. If this one doesn't sound like what you want tonight then there are a bunch more at her website.

Zona Rosa Chilequiles CD's winning recipe in the the Food Professional Division of the Newman's Own Recipe Contest, Co-Sponsored with Good Housekeeping Magazine, 1997

This is a luscious layered vegetarian casserole --- imagine a lasagne, but with corn tortillas instead of noodle strips, and with salsa instead of tomato sauce. The cheese filling is quite light as these things go, both because it's made with Neufchatel (a low-fat equivalent of cream cheese), and because it's scattered with loads of fresh vegetables: zucchini, corn cut off the cob.

The origins of the dish lie in Mexico, where chilequiles was actually developed as a way to use up stale corn tortillas. This is not a dish we serve at the inn, but at home and at casual parties: a favorite and a crowd-pleaser.

Ingredients:

1 package corn tortillas ( 8 to 10 )

Cooking spray, such as Pam

1 1/2 cups commercial salsa, preferably Newman's Own Bandito Salsa, Medium Hot

2 8-ounces packages Neufchatel cheese

2 eggs

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1 1/2 to 2 cups sliced fresh zucchini ( in 1/4 inch rounds) or string beans (stems removed, sliced in 1/2 inch lengths

2/3 cup fresh corn, cut from the cob

4 ounces grated sharp cheddar or Monterrey Jack cheese

1. Tear tortillas roughly into quarters. Let sit out, uncovered, at least an hour , so they get a bit stale.

2. Spray a 10X14 rectangular baking dish (preferably Le Creuset) with cooking spray. Spoon about 1/4 cup salsa over the bottom of dish, and smear it. Scatter over this 1/3 of the torn tortillas.

3. Make cheese filling: in food processor fitted with S-blade, place 1/2 cup salsa, cheese, eggs, and cornstarch. Process till well blended. Set aside.

4. Preheat oven to 350.

5. Bring a medium saucepan or water to a boil. Drop in prepare zucchini or green beans and blanch (3 minutes for zucchini, 5 for green beans) . Drain vegetables well rinse with cold water, and toss with raw corn. Set aside.

6. Spoon half the cheese filling over tortillas in baking dish. Scatter vegetables over filling, drizzle with another 1/2 cup salsa, and top with another third of the torn tortillas. Cover with remaining cheese filling. Top with last third of tortillas and pour over remaining salsa.

7. Cover baking dish, and bake for 40 minutes. Remover cover, sprinkle with shredded cheese, raise heat to 375, and bake another 10 to 12 minutes longer, or until cheese is melted and slightly browned.

Serves 8.