Black Bean Pie

I made this last weekend, when Hosanna was visiting. I always forget how much I enjoy this recipe, and then when I make it I wonder why I don't make it more often!

This recipe originally came from "Buen Provecho" which is a recipe book put together by Peace Corps Ecuador volunteers. Some of the recipes are Ecuadorian (this one is not, sorry!), others are just yummy ones that folks were making in the campo - getting creative with ingredients and the sometimes limited supplies we had on hand.

Black Bean Pie

Ingredients

Pie crust - enough for top & bottom! (homemade or store bought will do - I am a huge fan of the Trader Joe's pre-made pie crust)

Filling

The filling is really just a hodge podge of ingredients that you would use for vegetarian enchiladas. I don't really measure, either (the quantities I've include are estimates!). I am sure you could add meat to this recipe - I usually make it without.

• Black beans, drained & rinsed (1-2 cans, depending on if you use a "deep dish" pie tin a regular one)
• zucchini, chopped (about 1/2 cup each for the veggies)
• mushrooms
• corn
• onion
• bell peppers
• garlic (1 clove)
• tomato (one, chopped)
• chili powder (1 -2 tsp)
• cumin (1 tsp)
• salt
• pepper
• oregano 1/2 tsp (does this seem a little weird? I just added it because it was in my cupboard, and it tasted yummy!)
• cheese
• sour cream
• hot sauce (such as Tapa Tio)
• enchilada sauce (you can always just make your own - which is what I usually do)
• chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, chopped (you could also use jalapenos - and you can use as much or as little as you like, depending on your spiciness preference.

If I make my own sauce, here is what I put in it:

• tomato sauce (1/2 cup)
• water (maybe an 1/8 to a 1/4 cup)
• adobo sauce from the chipotle (a tablespoon or two)
• 1/2 & 1/2 or cream (just a splash, maybe two tablespoons)
• chili powder
• cumin
• salt
• pepper

You want your sauce to a bit thicker or similar consistency to enchilada sauce, so if you added too much water, add tomato sauce to thicken.

Cooking Instructions

• Preheat your oven to about 375 - 400.
• Prepare your pie crust and put the bottom layer into the pie pan. Set aside.
• Saute the onions and garlic until the onions are starting to become translucent. Add the rest of your veggies and all the seasonings (including the chopped chipotle!). Continue sauteing until everything is nice and hot.

Now, at this point you can either be done with the filling, or you can add your beans to the saute of veggies. It is up to you if you want to have it all mixed together, or if you want to layer your beans in the pie, apart from the veggies. Either way it is uber tastey. For this recipe and sake of ease, I will add the beans to the saute mix and mix it all together, cooking for a few minutes until hot. If your mixture has a lot of liquid, either drain it off or use a slatted spoon when scooping out the filling. You don't want your pie to get soggy!

Okay, now it is time to fill the pie!

• Spoon a small amount of your sauce mixture onto the pie crust that is in your pie tin.
• On top of that, spoon a layer of your black bean/veggie mixture. Cover that layer in sauce, and then follow with a generous layer of cheese.
• Continue with another layer of the veggie mix, followed by sauce & cheese until you've filled the pie tin, maybe even heaping a little bit, and then top with your other pie crust. (If you end up with excess filling once the pie is full, just save it for tacos or burritos later in the week, yum!)
  
• Once you close up your pie crust, remember to cut some vents on the top of the pie, so that the filling doesn't leak from the seams!

Bake for 20-30 minutes, until the pie crust is golden brown and a knife, when inserted, pulls out and is hot all the way through! Allow to cool for about 10-15 minutes.

Serve with a dollop of sour cream and your favorite hot sauce, if you care to spice it up a bit!

A cross-section snapshot!
This was the next day - after being refrigerated, it really holds its shape!
Does this picture even look appetizing? :)