Layered Tortillas with Tofu and Chili

Layered Tortillas with Tofu and Chili

Layers of tortillas with a mixture of peppers, tomato sauce, tofu, and grated cheese, baked in the oven.

«Pastel de pobre» or «Torta Azteca» is the name of this tasty Mexican specialty, which is often a creative way to use up whatever is left in the refrigerator. As with many of my Mexican recipes, I owe this one to a fellow student with me while at École Polytechnique, Maria del Pilar.

4 servings
Preparation 20 min / Cooking 40 min
480 calories per serving 
Recipe Nutrition Info Reviews (0) My Notes

Ingredients

2 onions, finely chopped   400 g
4 cloves garlic, minced    
1 yellow or red sweet peppers, cut into bite-size pieces   200 g
1/4 cup canola oil   65 mL
3/4 cup canned tomatoes (diced)   190 g
300 g firm tofu, crumbled   1 1/2 cup
1/2 cup cream cheese   70 g
1/2 cup vegetable broth   125 mL
2 tsp tomato paste   10 mL
1 tsp ground cumin   3 g
1 tsp cayenne pepper   3 g
1 tsp dried oregano   1 g
  salt to taste    
  ground pepper to taste    
5 corn tortillas   220 g
1 cup Cheddar cheese, low-fat (4%), grated   70 g
  aluminum foil, to cover the dish    

Method

Preheat the oven to 175°C/350°F.

Cook the filling

  1. Peppers and tofu are cooked separately then blended into one filling before assembling the «torta».
  2. Prepare the vegetables: finely chop the onion and mince the garlic; cut the peppers into bite-size pieces.
  3. Heat half of the oil in a pan over medium heat. Add half of the onion and garlic then sauté 4-5 min until lightly coloured and soft, paying attention not to let them burn. Add the peppers and sauté 4-5 min, then add the diced tomatoes.
  4. Cook over low heat, covered, about 15 min until the peppers are soft. Add salt and pepper to taste.
  5. Meanwhile, heat the remaining oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the remaining onion and garlic then sauté 4-5 min, with stirring, until the onion is translucent. Crumble the tofu and add it to the skillet. Cook 2-3 min with stirring.
  6. Add the cream cheese, broth, tomato paste, spices and oregano. Cover and cook over medium-low heat about 5-7 min, until the flavours are blended. Add salt and pepper to taste. Combine the tofu mixture with the peppers.

Assemble and cook the «torta»

  1. Place a first tortilla in a buttered ovenproof dish. Put some filling on top, sprinkle with some grated Cheddar, then cover with a second tortilla. Continue this layering sequence according to the number of tortillas in the ingredient list, until the filling is completely incorporated. Press down lightly on the top tortilla at each new layer. Finish with additional grated Cheddar on top of the last tortilla.
  2. Cover with a lid or greased aluminum foil (so that it does not stick to the top) then bake 20-25 min in the middle of the oven. Uncover and cook an additional 20 min. For a nice crust, turn on the top broiler for the last 2 minutes.
  3. Take the dish out of the oven and let it rest 5 min before cutting up the «torta» into pie-shaped slices. Serve.

Remarks

The filling can be prepared in advance. The «torta» can then be assembled and baked just before serving.

Servings of Canada's Food Guide

1 serving of this recipe is equivalent to:

Vegetables and Fruit: 2 servings
Grain Products: servings
Milk and Alternatives: ½ serving
Meat and Alternatives: ½ serving

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Claims

Free :
Added Sugar
Source of :
Omega-3, Omega-6, Pantothenic Acid, Vitamin B2
Good source of :
Copper, Selenium, Vitamin B1, Vitamin K, Zinc
Excellent source of :
Calcium, Fibre, Folacin, Iron, Magnesium, Manganese, Niacin, Phosphorus, Potassium, Vitamin A, Vitamin B6, Vitamin C, Vitamin E

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Nutrition Facts Table

Nutrition Facts

per 1 serving (380g)

Amount

% DV*

* DV = Daily Value

Calories

480

Fat

25 g

38 %

Saturated 6 g
+ Trans 0.2 g

30 %

Cholesterol

25 mg

Sodium

340 mg

14 %

Carbohydrate

44 g

15 %

Fibre

6 g

22 %

Sugars

8 g

Protein

24 g

Vitamin A

40 %

Vitamin C

150 %

Calcium

35 %

Iron

25 %

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This recipe is in the following categories: Cheese | Soy | Main courses/Entrées | Halal | High Calcium | High Fibre | High Iron | Kosher | Source of Omega-3 | Vegetarian | Mexican

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