We kick off Season 3 of The Blue and Yellow Kitchen with this brand-new memoir by James Tate Hill, Blind Man’s Bluff (affiliate link). Hill went functionally blind when he was 16, retaining only his peripheral vision. For the next 20 years he pretended he wasn’t blind, telling friends and loved ones he “had trouble with his eyes” or “My eyes aren’t so good.” The book takes a look at the impact this had on his life and relationships, as well as examining our ableist culture. I found it powerful and frustrating and absolutely worth reading.
One area where Hill began to become less dependent on others was through cooking. This casserole, described in the book as chilaquiles, was one of the first things he learned how to make on his own. I explain in the show why this isn’t the Mexican dish chilaquiles, while being delicious and hearty in its own right. Can be lower sodium if you follow my tips, and easily made vegan using vegan cheddar shreds. Watch the full episode below.
Tex-Mex Black Bean Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil (extra virgin)
- 1 onions about one cup diced
- 1 cup tomatoes diced, or 1 15-oz can no-salt-added diced tomatoes
- 2 cups corn kernels, fresh or frozen
- 1-1/2 cups black beans or 1 15-oz. can, rinsed and drained (make them yourself for the lowest-sodium version)
- 2 tablespoons lime juice (fresh)
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 10 ounces spinach frozen, or fresh cleaned, dried, and chopped
- 2 cups tortilla chips crushed, no salt added
- 8 ounces cheddar cheese sharp, can use vegan cheddar
- 2 cups salsa no salt added
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF/180ºC/gas mark 4. Spray or oil an 8" X 8" (or slightly larger) casserole dish.
- Heat the oil over medium heat in a large saute pan or Dutch oven until shimmering.
- Saute the onions for 8 minutes, or until translucent.
- Stir in the tomatos, corn, black beans, lime juice, and pepper and cook for 10 minutes until heated through and the mixture is a bit dry. Turn off the heat.
- Cook spinach in the microwave until it's warm and wilted, then squeeze out as much moisture as you can using your hands or a clean, old kitchen towel.
- Stir spinach, half the salsa, and 2/3 of the cheese into the vegetable mixture.
- Place 1 cup of the crushed tortilla chips on the bottom of the prepared dish.
- Spoon the vegetable mixture into the dish, smoothing the top.
- Spread the remaining crushed tortilla chips, salsa, and cheese on top in that order.
- Bake for 40 minutes until everything is hot and cheese is bubbly and golden.
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