Today is Tofu Tuesday

I know you've got Rotisserie Chicken Wednesday marked on your calendar and today we add another Very Special Date: Tofu Tuesday. Not to worry. I'm using tofu as a symbol of our new goal to eat meatless one day a week. Not every recipe will feature tofu, but this will be the day when I provide you with a meatless recipe. Meatless dishes tend to be cheaper and just about every nutrition expert worth their advice says we eat too much meat.

Today's recipe comes from Steve Petusevsky who writes a vegetarian column for the Sun-Sentinel  in Fort Lauderdale. His recipe for kid-friendly Deep Dish Tortilla Bean Strata fits our goal for eating meatless one night a week.

Remember, that's our goal.

Steve says this casserole can be made in a springform pan. "After the dish cools a bit, the removable side can be taken off, and the pie can be cut into wedges." Wow, that's pretty impressive for a weeknight.

Like a taco or a burrito, you can garnish with sour cream, cilantro, salsa, minced scallions. Also, the recipe calls for different type of beans but you can use what you have on hand.

Deep Dish Tortilla Bean Strata
2 teaspoons canola oil
2 cups chopped red onions
1 cup chopped green bell peppers
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon cumin seeds, ground
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes in puree
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained
1 (15-ounce) can kidney beans, drained
1 (15-ounce) can pinto beans, drained
6 burrito-size flour tortillas of your favorite flavor
2 cups shredded reduced-fat Mexican cheese (Monterey jack and cheddar)

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat; add canola oil. Saute red onions, green peppers, garlic, jalapenos, oregano and cumin 3 minutes. Add undrained tomatoes and simmer 10 minutes. Set aside.
Divide the tomato mixture evenly into 3 medium bowls. Add a can of beans to each bowl and mix well. In a 13- by 9- by 3-inch baking dish, spread one of the bean mixtures over the bottom. Top with 2 tortillas, overlapping as necessary, and one third of the cheese. Add another bowl of bean mixture, then 2 more tortillas and half the remaining cheese. Add remaining beans, cover with tortillas and remaining cheese.

Cover with foil and bake at 375 degrees 30 to 35 minutes or until heated through and cheese is melted. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Per serving: 333.5 calories, 25.7 percent calories from fat, 9.5 grams total fat, 4.4 grams saturated fat, 15 milligrams cholesterol, 43.4 grams carbohydrates, 11.1 grams total fiber, 5.2 grams total sugars, 32.3 grams net carbs, 20.3 grams protein, 409 milligrams sodium.

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