Vegetable tortas recipe
Layers of grilled vegetables interspersed with creamy mozzarella make this a pretty, summery dish. Don't worry if you don't have presentation rings - you can simply layer the tortas on the plate for a more relaxed look. While this is an easy recipe to prepare, it does require some patience as the vegetables need to be grilled in batched. They could also be roasted in the oven.
Ingredients
- 125 ml Olive oil, plus extra for brushing and drizzling
- 5 tbsp Balsamic vinegar
- 3 Courgettes, thinly sliced lengthways
- 1 Large aubergine, thinly sliced lengthways, then each slice halved
- 1 Large fennel bulb, thinly sliced lengthways
- 1 Red pepper, deseeded and thinly sliced lengthways
- 1 Yellow pepper, deseeded and thinly slicked lengthways
- 4 Seeded soft tortillas
- 2 125g/4.5oz balls of mozzarella cheese, drained, patted dry and cut into 16 slices
- 1 handful Basil leaves
- 1 pinch Salt
- 1 pinch Freshly ground black pepper
- 4.4 fl oz Olive oil, plus extra for brushing and drizzling
- 5 tbsp Balsamic vinegar
- 3 Courgettes, thinly sliced lengthways
- 1 Large aubergine, thinly sliced lengthways, then each slice halved
- 1 Large fennel bulb, thinly sliced lengthways
- 1 Red pepper, deseeded and thinly sliced lengthways
- 1 Yellow pepper, deseeded and thinly slicked lengthways
- 4 Seeded soft tortillas
- 2 125g/4.5oz balls of mozzarella cheese, drained, patted dry and cut into 16 slices
- 1 handful Basil leaves
- 1 pinch Salt
- 1 pinch Freshly ground black pepper
- 0.5 cup Olive oil, plus extra for brushing and drizzling
- 5 tbsp Balsamic vinegar
- 3 Courgettes, thinly sliced lengthways
- 1 Large aubergine, thinly sliced lengthways, then each slice halved
- 1 Large fennel bulb, thinly sliced lengthways
- 1 Red pepper, deseeded and thinly sliced lengthways
- 1 Yellow pepper, deseeded and thinly slicked lengthways
- 4 Seeded soft tortillas
- 2 125g/4.5oz balls of mozzarella cheese, drained, patted dry and cut into 16 slices
- 1 handful Basil leaves
- 1 pinch Salt
- 1 pinch Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 Large avocado
- 1 tbsp Olive oil
- 1 tsp Harissa paste
- 1 tbsp Lemon juice
- 1 tbsp Natural yogurt
- 1 Large avocado
- 1 tbsp Olive oil
- 1 tsp Harissa paste
- 1 tbsp Lemon juice
- 1 tbsp Natural yogurt
- 1 Large avocado
- 1 tbsp Olive oil
- 1 tsp Harissa paste
- 1 tbsp Lemon juice
- 1 tbsp Natural yogurt
Details
- Cuisine: Spanish
- Recipe Type: Main
- Difficulty: Medium
- Preparation Time: 10 mins
- Cooking Time: 55 mins
- Serves: 4
Step-by-step
- Preheat the grill to high and line the grill rack with foil. Mix together the olive oil and balsamic vinegar, then brush the courgettes with the mixture. Arrange half of the courgettes on the grill rack and grill for 10 minutes, turning once, until golden in places and softened. Brush with more of the oil mixture, if necessary. Repeat with the remaining courgettes, then set aside, covered with foil
- Brush the aubergine with the oil mixture and grill in batches for 12 minutes, turning once and brushing with more of the oil mixture, if necessary. Repeat with the fennel and peppers, grilling them for 5 minutes on each side
- While the vegetables are grilling, make the avocado cream. Cut the avocado in half, remove the stone and scoop the flesh into a blender. Add the oil, harissa paste, lemon juice, yoghurt and 1 tablespoon water and blend until smooth. Season with salt and pepper, add more harissa, if desired, and transder to a bowl
- Heat a little of the olive oil in a large, non-stick frying pan over a low heat, then wipe with a crumpled piece of kitchen towel to remove any excess. Add 1 tortilla and cook for about 5 minutes, turning once, until golden and crisp. Remove from the pan and cut into wedges. Repeat with the remaining tortillas
- To assemble, put a 10cm presentation ring on a serving plate and set aside 4 basil leaves. Layer the grilled vegetables and mozzarella inside, starting with a slice of aubergine, followed by pepper, basil, mozzarella, courgette, more basil, fennel, more mozzarella and more basil. Repeat with a second layer, then carefully remove the ring and top the torta with a basil leaf. Repeat to make 4 tortas. Drizzle the tortas with oil, sprinkle with black pepper and serve with the avocado cream and tortilla crisps
Also worth your attention:
More recipes from Nicola Graimes
Nicola's book: New Vegetarian Kitchen
Richard Corrigan's roasted vegetable couscous
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