Beef 'N' Ratatouille Torte Recipe
The beef and ratatouille torte is quite an elaborate torte prepared with beef and veggies like eggplant, bell peppers, mushrooms and tomatoes. Cooked and filled in pastry sheels the beef and ratatouille is baked and served with fresh parsley as garnishing.
Ingredients
2 lbs. ground beef (85 percent lean)
2 Baked Pastry Shells
2 tbs. butter or margarine
2 tbs. olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
2 lg. cloves garlic, minced
4 cups 1/2 inch cubes pared eggplant
2 med. green bell peppers cut into thin strips
2 cups each thinly sliced zucchini and mushrooms
4 med. tomatoes, cut into thin wedges
2 tsps. dried basil leaves crushed
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
3 cups (12 ozs.) shredded
Swiss cheese
parsley sprigs
Baked Pastry Shells:
2 cups flour
1 tsp. salt
2/3 cup + 2 tbs. shortening
Directions
Prepare Baked Shells.
Brown ground beef in large frying pan; pour off drippings.
In another large frying pan, heat butter and oil; add onion and garlic and cook until onion is translucent.
Add eggplant, green pepper and zucchini.
Stir fry over medium high heat 5 minutes; reduce heat.
Stir in mushrooms and tomatoes; stir fry 3 minutes.
Stir in beef, basil, salt and pepper, remove from heat.
For each shell, sprinkle 1/2 cup cheese on bottom of pastry, spread 1/2 of beef mixture over cheese; top with 1 cup remaining cheese.
(Filled pastry shells may be refrigerated or frozen at this point.)
Bake in 400 degrees F oven 15 minutes.
Garnish with parsley.
Baked Pastry Shells: Heat oven to 450 degrees F.
Combine flour and salt.
Cut in shortening until mixture resembles coarse meal.
Add 4-5 tbs.water, 1 tbs.at a time, until mixture leaves sides of bowl and forms a ball.
Divide in half and roll out on lightly floured surface into two 12 inch circles.
Line two 9 inch flan rings, quiche pans or pie plates with pastry; trim and flute edges.
Prick pastry on bottom and sides with fork.
Bake 10 - 12 minutes or just until pastry begins to brown.
Brown ground beef in large frying pan; pour off drippings.
In another large frying pan, heat butter and oil; add onion and garlic and cook until onion is translucent.
Add eggplant, green pepper and zucchini.
Stir fry over medium high heat 5 minutes; reduce heat.
Stir in mushrooms and tomatoes; stir fry 3 minutes.
Stir in beef, basil, salt and pepper, remove from heat.
For each shell, sprinkle 1/2 cup cheese on bottom of pastry, spread 1/2 of beef mixture over cheese; top with 1 cup remaining cheese.
(Filled pastry shells may be refrigerated or frozen at this point.)
Bake in 400 degrees F oven 15 minutes.
Garnish with parsley.
Baked Pastry Shells: Heat oven to 450 degrees F.
Combine flour and salt.
Cut in shortening until mixture resembles coarse meal.
Add 4-5 tbs.water, 1 tbs.at a time, until mixture leaves sides of bowl and forms a ball.
Divide in half and roll out on lightly floured surface into two 12 inch circles.
Line two 9 inch flan rings, quiche pans or pie plates with pastry; trim and flute edges.
Prick pastry on bottom and sides with fork.
Bake 10 - 12 minutes or just until pastry begins to brown.
