Title: Tamal Azteca
Categories: Casserole Vegetable Cheese Tex
Yield: 4 Servings
| AZTECA SAUCE |
| 1 | cn | (28 oz) plum tomatoes, undrained |
| 1 | cn | (4 oz) roasted green chilis, chopped, undrained |
| 1/2 | tb | Canola or corn oil |
| 1 | c | (6 oz) white onion, finely chopped |
| 1 | | Garlic clove, minced |
| 1 | c | Defatted chicken stock |
| 1/2 | ts | Salt |
| 1/4 | c | Chopped cilantro |
| TAMAL CONTENTS |
| 8 | | Corn tortillas |
| 1 | c | Zucchini, diced |
| 2 | pk | (10 0z) frozen chopt spinach thawed, thoroughly drained |
| 8 | oz | Monterey Jack Cheese, grated |
| 1 | pk | (10 oz) frozen corn, thawed |
| 1/4 | c | Chopped cilantro |
| 4 | c | Azteca Sauce |
AZTECA SAUCE: To make sauce, combine tomatoes and chilies in a blender and
make a coarse puree. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add onion
and cook until lightly browned. Increase heat to medium-high, add garlic
and cook 1 minute. Add tomato and chili mixture and cook, stirring
frequently, until reduced and thickened, about 8 minutes. Add stock, reduce
heat to low and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes.
Stir in salt, remove from heat and stir in 1/4 cup of cilantro. Makes 4
cups of sauce. CASSEROLE: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread tortillas out
on two baking sheets coated with vegetable oil spray. Lightly coat tops of
tortillas with vegetable oil spray and place them in preheated oven for 10
minutes. Turn over and bake 3 minutes more. Remove from oven and set aside,
leaving oven on.
Steam diced zucchini until just crisp-tender, about 2 minutes. Remove
from steamer and set aside.
To assemble casserole, lightly coat a 7-by-11 inch baking dish with
vegetable oil spray. Spread a thin layer of sauce evenly over the bottom.
Cover sauce with 2 toasted tortillas. Evenly spread the chopped spinich
over the top of the tortillas. Top with one-fourth of the remaining sauce
and one-fourth of the cheese.
Place 2 more tortillas over the top and press down. Spread the corn on
top and cover with one-third of the remaining sauce and one-third of the
remaining cheese. Top with 2 more tortillas, again pressing down. Top with
zucchini, one-half the remaining sauce and one-half the remaining cheese.
Top with the 2 remaining tortillas and press down. Spread remaining sauce
evenly over the top and sprinkle on remaining cheese.
Cover tightly with foil and place in preheated oven for 25 minutes.
Uncover and bake about 10 minutes more, or until lightly browned. To serve,
sprinkle 1/4 cup of chopped cilantro over the top.