Fiesta Casserole (GF-friendly option)

Just a quick note before the fiesta begins -- you can do a gluten-free version of this by using GF corn tortillas.  It's delicious.

This is a great recipe for using up leftover veggies, beans, and grains.  As long as you have the gist of the recipe, the variations are boundless.  ;p
I have two versions of this recipe here.  The quickie version and the from-scratch version.

For the quickie version, you will need:

• tomato sauce (pasta or pizza sauce will do fine)
• chili powder, chili flakes, or hot sauce (something strong and fiesty like Tabasco rather than the sweeter Sriracha)
• tinned or frozen mixed veggies (if tinned, then drain)
• tinned or frozen beans (if tinned, then drain) -- kidney beans, pintos, black beans, or garbanzos are best, but use what you have.
• tortillas (corn or wheat flour or whatever you please)

Preheat your oven to 400°F/200°C.
Combine the tomato sauce, chili powder/chili flakes/hot sauce, mixed veggies, and beans in a pot on the stove and simmer until anything frozen is thawed and everything is warm. 

Grease/oil a baking dish and line it with tortillas (probably 2-3). Scoop in some of the tomato-bean stuff. Add another layer of tortillas (try to cover the areas you didn't get with the first layer). Scoop in tomato-bean stuff. Repeat.

Bake at 400°F/200°C for 20-30 minutes.

The from-scratch version is a little different, but the gist is the same.

Preheat your oven to 400°F/200°C.

Fry chopped onions in olive oil until they start to turn clear.  Add some chopped garlic and chili (fresh, but you can sub with chili powder) and add cumin (I grind the cumin seeds in my coffee grinder first, but feel free to use whole seeds or pre-ground or whatever you've got on-hand) and oregano (feel free to sub a mixed herb blend) and maybe some chopped fresh cilantro or parsley if you have some to spare. Add a tin of chopped tomatoes and some tomato paste (or be very patient while the runny chopped tomatoes thicken), toss in some corn, beans (kidney, pinto, black, or garbanzo are best), and an assortment of chopped veggies (zucchini, carrot, bell pepper, spinach, etc.). Add salt and black pepper and stir a bit more.

Grease/oil a baking dish and line it with tortillas (probably 2-3). Scoop in some of the tomato-bean stuff. Add another layer of tortillas (try to cover the areas you didn't get with the first layer). Scoop in tomato-bean stuff. Repeat.

Bake at 400°F/200°C for 20-30 minutes.

The toughest part for me is waiting until the casserole is cool enough to eat.  ;D

Also, it's World Vegetarian Day and day 1 of VeganMoFo.  I got on the MoFo BlogRoll by the skin of my teeth.  I nearly missed the deadline!!