Pi(e)

π

3.14159……

The irrational number, most commonly used for converting the radius of a circle into the area of a circle, has a life of its own beyond mathematics. It has its own holiday, (Pi day – 3/14). A major book and movie character named after it (Life of Pi). It is even in what has been deemed the nerdiest collegiate cheer there is (from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology):

“I’m a Beaver, you’re a Beaver, we are Beavers all. And when we get together, we do the Beaver call. E to the U du dx, E to the X dx. Cosine, secant, tangent, sine, 3.14159. Integral radical mu dv Slipstick, sliderule, MIT. Go Tech!”

The world record for correctly reciting the digits of pi was set in China in 2005. He recited 67,890 correct digits before making a mistake. I can’t even imagine.

I like this kine of pi(e) much better – taco pie. The picture above shows a gooey mess. You know it has to taste wonderful looking like that!

There are a decent number of ingredients.

Tortilla halves getting crispy in the hot oil.

Onion and garlic.

The ground beef.

With the veggies.

Starting to layer in the pie plate.

Getting full with the meat filling.

Doesn’t that look great?

I love me some Pi(e).

Taco Pie

Prep Time: 0 hours 15 minutes | Cook Time: 0 hours 20 minutes | Makes: 4 servings | Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 8 corn tortillas, halved
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• Pinch of cayenne pepper
• 3/4 pound ground pork
• Kosher salt
• 1 15-ounce can crushed tomatoes
• 2 4.25-ounce cans chopped green chiles
• 1 cup frozen corn
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella (preferably reduced sodium)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the tortillas and cook, flipping a few times, until golden, about 3 minutes. Remove with tongs and transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain.

Add the onion to the skillet and cook, stirring, until soft, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cayenne and cook 30 seconds. Add the pork and 1/4 teaspoon salt and cook, breaking up the meat, until browned, about 4 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, chiles and corn. Bring to a simmer and cook until slightly thickened, about 3 minutes. Season with salt. Remove from the heat and stir in the cilantro.

Arrange half of the tortillas in the bottom of a 9-to-10-inch pie plate. Top with half of the meat mixture, then half of the cheese. Repeat with the remaining tortillas, meat and cheese. Cover loosely with foil and bake until the cheese melts, about 10 minutes.

Per serving: Calories 590; Fat 36 g (Saturated 12 g); Cholesterol 76 mg; Sodium 723 mg; Carbohydrate 41 g; Fiber 6 g; Protein 29 g

Source: http://m.foodnetwork.com/recipes/recipe/587532