Beefy Picnic Bites with Parsley Pesto
A light summery snack or lunch based on a frittata with beef mince, peppers and courgettes served with a parsley pesto.
prep time
25 mins
cook time
30 minutes
serves
4 people
Ingredients
- 375g/12oz lean beef mince
- 30ml/2tbsp sunflower oil
- 2 medium potatoes, peeled, thinly sliced and dried
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
- Salt and freshly milled black pepper
- 5-10ml/1-2tsp ground paprika
- 2 large courgettes, topped, tailed and very thinly sliced lengthways
- 1 x 280g jar prepared grilled peppers, drained
- 50g/2oz mild hard cheese (e.g Cheddar), grated
- 4 medium eggs, beaten
- Fresh rocket or watercress leaves, to garnish
For the Parsley Pesto:
- 2 x 20g packs flat-leaf parsley
- 1 garlic clove, peeled and finely chopped
- 25g/1oz grated Parmesan cheese
- 25g/1oz raw cashew nuts, toasted and roughly chopped
- 75ml/5tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Method
- Preheat the oven to Gas mark 6, 200°C, 400°F.
- Heat the oil in a large non-stick frying pan. Cook the potato slices for 10 minutes, turning regularly until golden brown. Remove and drain on absorbent kitchen paper.
- In the same pan, cook the mince with the garlic, seasoning and paprika for 5-7 minutes. Set aside to cool.
- Lay half the potatoes over the base of a 20cm/8inch non-stick square cake tin, followed by the courgettes, peppers and mince mixture. Add the remaining potatoes then the cheese.
- Season the eggs and pour into the tin. Leave for 1-2 minutes for the egg mixture to settle.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes then set aside to cool slightly for 15-20 minutes then cut into bite-size pieces and serve warm.
- Meanwhile prepare the pesto; place all the ingredients in a food processor or blender and blend until smooth. Season to taste and serve with the bites.
