Chili Tortilla Lasagna

This lasagne takes all of the layering of flavor that you love about the Italian

version and gives it a Mexican twist. The queso recipe is adapted from The PPK (Post-Punk Kitchen) and works amazingly on nachos and as a dip too. The whole thing takes about an hour and a half to make.

Chili Tortilla Lasagna [Vegan]

Ingredients

For the chili:

• 1 medium onion, diced
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 finely chopped chili, membrane and seeds removed if you want less heat
• 1 bell pepper, diced
• 1 medium zucchini, diced
• 1 15oz. tin of chopped tomatoes
• 1 15oz. tin of black beans (or kidney beans), drained
• 1/3 cup sweetcorn
• 1 Tbsp. tomato paste
• 1 tsp. chipotle paste (optional)

Spice mix:

• 2 tsp. cumin
• 1½ tsp. ground coriander
• ½ tsp. chili powder
• ¼ tsp. cayenne pepper
• ½ tsp. smoked paprika
• ¼ tsp. cocoa powder
• ¼ tsp. cinnamon
• 3 tsp. oregano

For the queso:

• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 1 jalapeno, de-seeded and sliced
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• a little oil for frying
• 1 cup of cashews, soaked over night or at least a few hours
• 2 cups vegetable stock
• 1 Tbsp. lemon juice
• 2 tsp. cornstarch or arrowroot powder
• 2 tsp. ground cumin
• 1 tsp. mild chili powder
• 4 Tbsp. nutritional yeast
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 3-4 soft flour tortillas, to assemble
• 1 tsp. dry polenta/cornmeal

Preparation

Make the chili:

1. Heat a little oil in the bottom of a pot and add the diced onion and soften for a few minutes. Add in the garlic, diced chili, spice mix, bell pepper and courgette and sautée for another 6-7 minutes.
2. Add in the tinned tomatoes, sweetcorn, tomato and chipotle paste and black beans. Simmer for a further 10 minutes and season with salt and pepper to taste. Adjust chili powder and cayenne pepper if you want it spicier.

Make the queso:

1. Add the cashews and 1/2 cup of stock to a food processor or blender and blend until really smooth (this will probably take a few minutes, just let it run).
2. In the meantime, heat a drop of oil in a saucepan over medium heat and add in the onions, jalapeno and red pepper. Cook until soft (about 7 minutes). Add in the garlic, chili powder, cumin and salt and cook for a further minute.
3. Add the contents of the pan into the food processor along with the remaining stock, lemon juice, cornstarch, salt and nutritional yeast. Blend again until very smooth.
4. Return to the saucepan and simmer over a low heat for 15 -20 minutes until thickened.

To assemble:

1. Lightly oil the bottom of an 8×10 inch oven-proof dish and sprinkle with the polenta. Trim the edges off one tortilla and place on the bottom of the dish.
2. Cover the tortilla with about half an inch of chili, then spread a layer of queso over it. Layer with another trimmed tortilla, chili, queso and a third tortilla. Top with a final layer of chili and spread the remaining queso on top.
3. Cover with tinfoil and place in the oven at 375ºF/190ºC/Gas 5 for 30 minutes. Remove the foil, then return to the oven for 5-10 minutes more until the top has turned golden brown.

https://www.onegreenplanet.org/vegan-recipe/chili-tortilla-lasagna/