In rural southern France, there’s nary a Mexican restaurant, and you can forget Taco Bell. My friend Lynne, cook extraordinaire, loads up on Mexican ingredients on her trips to the U.S. and makes authentic and delicious Mexican creations. That’s beyond me. But, the supermarkets here have a surprising selection of some basic Tex Mex ingredients. Not like the shelves of Krogers, but enough to whip up some south of the border dishes. I made the following for dinner which was a welcome change and easy. Recipe makes four healthy portions. All that French wine is great, but there are times when beer is best. It’s the perfect beverage with Enchilada Pie.
1 lb. lean ground turkey or beef
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 jar (16 oz) thick and chunky salsa (this I could not find, but any salsa will do)
1 cup chopped fresh tomato
1 can chopped green chilies ( I had a can purchased at the US commissary in Germany, but it could be omitted if you can’t find it)
1 cup frozen corn kernels
3 flour tortillas ( 8 inches in diameter)
8 oz. or more of grated cheese
Toppings: Sour cream (creme fraiche in France) and chopped tomato. Garnish with chopped fresh cilantro.
Heat oven to 350 F. Coat a 9- to 10-inch deep-dish pie plate with a nonstick cooking spray or cooking oil. Put ground turkey or beef in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle with cumin and cook about 5 minutes, stirring to break up clumps, until meat is no longer pink.
Stir in salsa, tomato, chiles and corn. Bring to a simmer and cook about 10 minutes to develop flavors.
Put 1 tortilla in bottom of prepared dish and spread with half of meat mixture, then sprinkle with 1/3 of cheese. Repeat layers, using 1/2 of remaining cheese. Top with the remaining tortilla, then cover with foil.
Bake 30 minutes. Uncover, sprinkle with remaining cheese and bake 10 more minutes or until cheese is melted. Let cool 5 to 10 minutes before cutting into wedges. Serve with toppings and garnish.
Tales and Travel 