A nameless mexican delicacy

It's early, much too early for my taste this morning. My brain is still trying to shake off its daze and my eyes are noticeably puffy. There are things I could write about, but even for me they seem too personal to place here. So instead, I'll share something I didn't add in my last blog about Mexico. A recipe.

Ricardo and I came up with this one night about one month ago, taking quick inventory of what we each had on hand in our fridges. It was late, and we didn't want to spend much time cooking. What we came up with is so simple, I don't even have a name for it yet, but I've made it at least three or four times since we first created it. It's too good, too easy, to keep to myself. So here it is, in its nameless glory:

Ingredients

*Assortment of vegetables (I go a little crazy here because I love vegetables: mushrooms, onion, zucchini, spinach or chard, and bell peppers are good)

*1 tomato

*1 avocado

*corn tortillas

*1 can black or kidney beans, undrained

*a few chunks of onion (white, yellow or red will do fine)

*Dried red chiles

*salsa (optional)

*shredded cheese or mexican cotija (optional)

*oil (your choice - I love olive oil)

Take whatever vegetables you have and chop them into small, bitesize chunks. Saute them in a small amount of oil and garlic. Cook until vegetables are done, but still slightly crunchy.

In a saucepan on the stove, heat a little oil. Add a few chunks of onion and some crushed red chiles, cooking for only a minute or two until the onion is barely browned. Add a can of whole, undrained black or kidney beans to the saucepan. Using a masher (the bottom of a glass cup works, too), mash the beans in the pan. They will still be a little chunky, but more resemble refried beans. Cook for a few minutes on medium heat.

In another frying pan, add a little oil and heat several corn tortillas (two per person), flipping them over, until they are slightly moist from the oil and warm through and through, not crunchy. It only takes about two minutes for each tortilla.

Chop the fresh tomato into chunks. Cut the avocado into small slices. Set these to the side.

Place one heated tortilla on a plate. Cover the tortilla with vegetables, then place the second tortilla on top. Smother the top of the tortilla with the frijoles (beans). Add salsa to the top if you have it. Shredded cheese or mexican cotija on top is also good. Garnish with tomato and avocado.

Your creation should look like a fat tortilla sandwich, filled with veggies and smothered with creamy frijoles and a colorful garnish of tomato and avocado, salsa, and whatever you desire. The spicier, the better, in my opinion. Go crazy.