Mexican Lasagne with Fresh Salsa and Guacamole

Though nothing beats a good, authentic Mexican meal, I'm also partial to what we Americans loosely call "Mexican" or "Tex-Mex." Most often when the cravings strike I whip up a big plate of cheesy nachos or put together a soft taco buffet, but now and again I pull out this recipe that my mom introduced to me several years ago.

"Mexican" Lasagne

1 lb. lean ground beef*

1 packet taco seasoning mix

2 16-oz. cans refried beans

4 10-inch flour tortillas

3 cups shredded cheese (preferably cheddar or colby jack)

1 small can sliced black olives

2 chopped green onions

Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).

Brown the ground beef in a large skillet over medium heat. Drain the grease from the meat and stir in the taco seasoning and refried beans.

Spread a layer of the meat/bean mixture on the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish. Cover with tortillas, trimming for good coverage, then add a layer of shredded cheese topped by olives and onions. Repeat layers.

Bake 35-45 minutes until layers are heated through and cheese is bubbly. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving. Serve with salsa, guacamole, and sour cream.

*You can easily make this dish vegetarian by replacing the beef with a vegetarian ground meat substitute, or leaving it out entirely.

Store-bought salsa and guacamole will do in a pinch, of course, but if you really want to give yourself a treat, make them fresh. Here are two great recipes, the first from Marie Lundgren and the next from Carrie Pålsson.

Marie's Fresh Hot Salsa

Chop very small and combine:

6-8 tomatoes (I get plum tomatoes when I can)

1 cucumber, peeled

1 yellow bell pepper

1 green bell pepper

1 hot red chili pepper

1 red onion

handful of fresh cilantro

Then add:

2 pressed cloves of garlic

~1/8 cup lemon juice and 1/8 cup lime juice

1 tablespoon salt, or to taste

Mix the salsa well then cover it and let it rest in the refrigerator. The longer it sits the better it tastes, so if it's for dinner try to make it first thing in the morning or even the night before.

Carrie's Guacamole

2 ripe avocadoes

1 tsp. salt

1-2 T. lime juice

1-2 cloves garlic or 1 tsp. garlic powder

1 finely-chopped onion

1 or 2 chopped tomatoes

(For more kick, you can add jalapeño juice or a few slices of pickled jalapeños or some whole, seeded jalapeños. I usually put in about 2 tsp. of jalapeño juice and 6 slices of pickled jalapeños.)

If you have a hand blender, guacamole is really easy to make. Cut each avocado in half, then cut into quarters. Throw out the pit and peel the avocadoes. Cut into big chunks, then put into a tall container (I use a pitcher). Add the salt, lime juice, garlic cloves or garlic powder, and jalapeños. Use your hand blender to mix all the ingredients together. You should blend until the jalapeños and garlic cloves are no longer visible, though the avocadoes may still be a bit chunky.

If you don't have a hand blender, start with peeling the avocadoes. When they are ready, chop them into fairly small chunks, then mash them up with a fork. Chop the garlic cloves and jalapeños very finely and add to the avocado along with the salt and lime juice. I like this chunky kind of guacamole, but it takes a lot more time to make.

Transfer the avocado mixture into an airtight plastic container and seal the lid. Put it in the fridge while you chop the onion and tomatoes.

When you are done chopping, take the avocado mixture from the fridge and test it. You might need to add more salt, garlic poweder, lime juice or jalapeño juice depending on your tastes. Those ingredients are pretty flexible, but remember that it is better to start out with less, because you can always add more but you can't take it away if you put in too much.

Once the avocado mixture tastes good to you, mix in the tomato and onion. Store the guacamole in an airtight container so it will last longer. If you use a lot of lime juice and keep it tightly covered while not in use, it should last a couple of days, but if you just put it in a bowl with plastic wrap over it, it will be brown the next day. Ick!