Tortilla Pie

The new meat and cheese alternatives available in regular and natural food markets help to make the transition to a plant-based diet easy. I like to make this colorful pie with mild salsa, but you can use a more spicy salsa . Option: Use 6 oz. of lightly browned meatless soy chorizo (such as "Soyrizo") instead of ground round alternative, and leave out the cumin, chili powder, and salt.

3 10" soft whole wheat flour tortillas
1 15-oz. can pinto beans, drained
1 15-oz. can vegetarian refried beans
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. salt
8 oz. casein-free cheddar cheese alternative, shredded (such as VeganRella)
4 oz. crumbled, browned ground round alternative such as Veggie Ground Round by Yves (optional)
3/4 cup mild salsa
1 medium onion, chopped finely
1 large sliced tomato

Lightly mist the bottom and sides of a deep 10" pie plate with cooking spray. Layer one tortilla on bottom of pie plate. Mix the beans, spices, and salt and spread over the tortilla. Sprinkle 1/3 of the "cheese" over the beans. Layer another tortilla. Spread the ground round alternative over the tortilla, then layer the salsa, onion, and 1/3 of the "cheese" over it.

Layer the last tortilla and cover it with tomato slices. Sprinkle the last 1/3 of the "cheese" over the tomatoes. Bake pie 30-45 minutes in a 350° oven. Let it rest 15 minutes before slicing and serving. Top each slice with additional salsa, if desired. The pie keeps and reheats well. Serves 4-6.

© Copyright Kay Bushnell