Trio of pepper torta

Wanting something vegetarian for dinner tonight and to use up the bell peppers that had been sitting in the fridge for a few days, I made a trio of pepper torta (like the Spanish tortilla but sans the patatas).

Slice of trio of pepper torta

Ingredients

2 tbsp coconut oil
1 red bell pepper, sliced
1 green bell pepper, sliced
1 orange bell pepper, sliced
6 button mushrooms, sliced
2 garlic, minced
2 tbsp basil, dried or freshly chopped
220g cream cheese, softened
60ml fresh cream
6 large free range eggs
1-2 C cheddar cheese, shredded
ground pepper, to taste
sea salt, to taste

Method

1. Preheat oven to 175°C.
2. Heat a 9” or 10” skillet over medium heat then heat the coconut oil.
3. Add in the peppers. Sauté until the peppers are just tender, about 10 minutes.
4. Add in the mushrooms, garlic, and dried basil (if using fresh basil, add it in the cream cheese and egg mixture). Sauté until the mushrooms start to brown, about 5 minutes. Set aside.
5. In a large bowl, beat the softened cream cheese until smooth. Then beat in the eggs one at a time until fully combined (it should be smooth but okay if a little lumpy).
6. Beat in the cream and then season with salt and ground pepper (if using fresh basil, add it to the mixture now).
7. Add the sautéed vegetables to the cream cheese and egg mixture and mix.
8. Lightly grease the skillet and then pour in the vegetable and cream cheese mixture. Spread out the vegetable evenly in the skillet.
9. Sprinkle the shredded cheese on top (or stir the cheese in with a rubber spatula to combine).
   
10. Bake in the centre rack of the oven for 40-60 minutes, or until the top is puffy and golden brown and the centre no longer jiggles when shaken.
    
11. Remove from the oven and let cool for about 10 minutes in skillet. Then run a rubber spatula around the edges of the torta to loosen. Remove it from the skillet (I flip it out to a large plate and then flip it back onto another plate).
    
12. Serve warm, room temperature, or cold, on its own or with a mixed leaf salad.
    

It turned out even tastier than I'd imagined. I was going to add in a medium onion, but the only one I had in the pantry looked suspiciously turned so I left it out. Also didn't find courgettes in the shops so had to do without. But the three bell peppers were beautifully sweet, so I didn't miss any of the other vegetables. The basil was a wonderful accompaniment, adding in even a touch of a salty taste, so I didn't feel the need to use any salt (just ground pepper). I had a warm slice for dinner on its own (I wasn't particularly hungry) and kept the rest in the fridge. No doubt it will be delightful tomorrow as a cold lunch.