Spicy Black Bean Nachos

Roughly chop 1/2 an onion and peel 2 garlic cloves. Saute the onion and garlic in a dollop of oil over medium heat for 5-7 minutes.

Drain and rinse one can of black beans. Add the black beans to the onion mixture along with 2 chipotles in adobo, 1 Tablespoon adobo sauce, 1/2 teaspoon cumin, 1/2 teaspoon salt, freshly ground pepper, and 1/2 cup water (or stock). Simmer for a few minutes until heated through.

Combine the bean mixture in a blender or food processor. Salt to taste (I added another pinch for this recipe).

Shred 4-5 cups of Monterey Jack cheese. This is enough cheese for three single layer batches.

Add a dense, single layer of chips to a sheet pan. (You can line the sheetpan with foil or parchment paper if you want to make cleanup easier).

Drizzle some of the beans over the chips. Add a layer of cheese to the chips. Bake in the oven at 400F for 5-7 minutes or until all the cheese is melted.

Top with your favorite fixings and serve immediately.

This batch was drizzled with Avocado Salsa Verde and topped with Pico de Gallo, chopped cilantro, and jalapeno slices.

If you are making Avocado Salsa Verde, start by rinsing four fresh tomatillos. I usually cut out the stems too. Roast the tomatillos in the oven at 400F until cooked through and they start to turn army green.

Add the roasted tomatillos to a blender along with ½ onion, 1 garlic clove, 10-12 sprigs cilantro, and ½ of a jalapeno pepper. Pulse blend and taste for heat, adding the additional ½ of the jalapeno if you want more heat. Add the flesh of the avocado to the blender and combine well. Salt to taste.

If you are making Pico de Gallo, start by finely chopping the tomato, 1/4 onion, and 1/2 jalapeno into ¼" sized chunks. Finely dice the cilantro. Combine the tomato, onion, jalapeno and cilantro in a mixing bowl. Add ¼ teaspoon salt and the juice of a ½ lime. Mix together well and taste for seasoning. Add additional salt and lime if necessary.