Southwestern Chayote Casserole

Ingredients

• Chayote

  Fruit, raw

  3 chayote or 609g

• Onions

  Raw

  1 medium or 110g

• Red bell pepper

  Sweet, raw

  1 medium or 119g

• Jalapeno peppers

  Raw

  1 pepper or 14g

• Garlic

  Raw

  2 cloves, minced or 6g

• Chili powder

  Spices

  2 tsp or 5g

• Paprika

  Spices

  1 tsp or 2g

• Cumin

  Spices, cumin seed

  1 tsp, ground or 3g

• Tomatoes

  Red, ripe, canned, packed in tomato juice

  2 cup or 480g

• Canned black beans

  Low sodium, drained

  2 cup or 520g

• Cornmeal

  Whole-grain, yellow

  1 cup or 122g

• Raw Agave Nectar

  365 Everyday Value

  1 tbsp or 21g

• Nutritional Yeast

  Vegan - Whole Foods Market

  1 tbsp or 8g

• Salt

  Table

  ½ tsp or 3g

• Water

  Plain, clean water

  1 cup or 237g

Directions

1. Cook the chayotes in boiling water until they are soft enough that they can be pierced to the middle with a fork. Set aside to cool (you may continue on with the recipe and come back to the chayotes later). When they are cool enough to handle, cut them in half from top to bottom, remove the seed from the center and discard (or save to eat later if you'd like). If the skin of your chayote is tough or bitter, as some varieties are, peel it; then cut into 1/2-inch pieces.
2. Chop onions, bell pepper, jalapeno; and mince garlic. Sauté the onions in a large non-stick pan until they begin to brown. Add the bell pepper, jalapeño, and garlic and cook for 2 more minutes. Add the cubed chayote, beans, tomatoes, and all spices, and cover to simmer for 15 minutes.
3. Preheat the oven to 400 F and oil a large casserole dish. Transfer the chayote mixture to the casserole dish. Prepare the cornmeal topping by mixing the dry ingredients together. Boil the water and stir in until smooth. Drop it by spoonfuls over the casserole, and then smooth it evenly over the top. Bake until the topping is firm and beginning to get crisp, about 25-30 minutes.