Sensational savoury tarts
Savoury tart is the South African equivalent of French quiche. We create delicious tarts with a variety of veggies and crusts
BEETROOT TART
SERVES 4 PREPARATION: 30 MIN COOKING: 30 MIN
The basis of a savoury tart is usually onion. The nutty taste of the sunflower seeds in the pastry perfectly complements the sweetness of the beet.
CRUST
◗ 100g white bread flour (or almond flour)
◗ 200g sunflower seeds
◗ 50g rolled oats
◗ a pinch of salt
◗ 1 egg
◗ 60g butter
FILLING
◗ oil for shallow-frying
◗ 2 garlic cloves, crushed
◗ 1 red onion, sliced
◗ 1 tub ( 230g) creamed cottage cheese
◗ 4 eggs
◗ 5ml (1t) mild mustard paste
◗ salt and freshly ground pepper
◗ a handful baby spinach or chopped spinach
◗ 80ml (¹⁄₃c) peas (optional)
◗ 1 young beetroot, sliced
paper thin
◗ ½ roll (50g) medium-fat cream cheese with pepper, sliced into medallions
◗ fresh thyme or rosemary sprigs (to finish)
Preheat the oven to 190°C. Grease a medium springform tin with nonstick spray.
1 Crust Put the flour, sunflower seeds and rolled oats in a food processor and pulse until the seeds and oats are finely ground.
2 Add the salt, egg and butter and process until a dough starts forming around the blade. Remove and make a long roll. Slice and line the bottom and sides of the prepared tin with the crust, then press down with your fingertips.
Chill in the fridge for 10 minutes. Put a smaller tin inside the large tin and bake for about 10 minutes.
3 Filling Heat the oil and fry the garlic and onion until soft.
4 Beat the cottage cheese, eggs and mustard until well combined, then season with salt and pepper.
5 Spoon half the onion mixture, and all the spinach and peas (if using) onto the crust, then pour the cottage cheese mixture over. Arrange the beetroot, the rest of the onions, and cream cheese slices on top. Bake for 35 minutes or until the egg mixture has set. Sprinkle thyme or rosemary over.
TOMATO TART
You can’t go wrong with these classic Mediterranean flavours.
SERVES 4 PREPARATION: 20 MIN COOKING: 30 MIN 1 sheet puff pastry, defrosted milk for brushing 200g baby tomatoes, in various colours salt and freshly ground pepper 15-30ml (1-2T) brown sugar olive oil 30ml (2T) balsamic vinegar 2 red onions, sliced 80ml (¹⁄₃c) sundried tomato pesto 125g creamed cottage cheese 10-12 olives (optional) ½ roll (50g) medium-fat cream cheese with pepper fresh basil or rocket for sprinkling
Preheat the oven to 200°C. Grease a large baking sheet with nonstick spray. 1 Roll the puff pastry out until it’s a little thinner. Slice a 3mm strip off each side to create a square or rectangle. 2 Put the pastry on the prepared baking sheet. Brush milk on the edges and stick the strips you’ve cut off all around the edges. Press down to ensure it sticks. Cut notches in the centre of the pastry. Bake for about 20-30 minutes or until the edges are puffed up and the pastry is light brown. 3 At the same time, arrange the tomatoes on a baking sheet. Season generously with salt and pepper, sprinkle half the sugar over and drizzle olive oil over. Roast with the puff pastry until the tomatoes just start bursting open. Sprinkle half the balsamic vinegar over and set aside. 4 Heat more oil in a pan and fry the onions until soft. Sprinkle the rest of the sugar over and stir-fry until caramelised, then sprinkle the rest of the balsamic vinegar over. 5 Mix the sundried tomato pesto and cottage cheese and spread over the puff pastry. Arrange the onions, tomatoes and olives (if using) on top, and add pieces of cream cheese. 6 Bake for 20 minutes or until the cheese has melted. Finish with basil or rocket.
SWEET POTATO TART
The sweet potato and onion flavours complement each other in this tart.
SERVES 6 PREPARATION: 30 MIN COOKING: ABOUT 60 MIN
FILLING 500g orange sweet potatoes, sliced oil for shallow-frying and sprinkling salt and freshly ground pepper 2 onions, sliced 30ml (2T) sugar 30ml (2T) white balsamic or apple vinegar 125ml (½c) plain full-cream yoghurt 125ml (½c) full-cream milk 4 eggs prepared crust (see veggie tart recipe on page 25) 2 rounds feta a few sprigs of thyme
Preheat the oven to 180°C. 1 Filling Arrange the sweet potato slices on a baking sheet, sprinkle a little oil over, season with salt and pepper and roast until soft. 2 Heat a little oil in a pan and fry the onions until soft. Sprinkle the sugar over and stir-fry until caramelised. Sprinkle the vinegar over and season with salt and pepper. 3 Beat the yoghurt, milk and eggs together, and season with salt and
pepper. 4 Transfer the onions to the tart crust, arrange the sweet potatoes on top, then pour the yoghurt mixture over. 5 Top with feta and thyme, then bake for about 40 minutes or until the filling has set.
BROCCOLI AND WALNUT TART
This delicious tart is also low in carbs. The easy crust is made with coconut flour.
SERVES 4 PREPARATION: 30 MIN COOKING: 35 MIN
CRUST 125ml (½c) coconut flour 15ml (1T) psyllium husk powder 5ml (1t) baking powder 2,5ml (½t) salt 90ml (6T) olive oil 125ml (½c) hot water FILLING 4 eggs 80ml (¹⁄₃c) plain full-cream yoghurt 5ml (1t) whole-grain mustard salt and freshly ground pepper 100g cheddar cheese, grated 1 onion (preferably red), chopped and fried until soft 1 head of broccoli, broken into florets and blanched in hot water 50g walnuts, crumbled
Preheat the oven to 200°C. Grease a medium springform tin with nonstick spray. 1 Crust Mix the coconut flour, psyllium husk powder, baking powder and salt. Mix the oil and hot water separately, then add to the flour mixture and mix until a dense dough forms. 2 Roll the dough into a roll, slice and line the springform tin with slices, pressing down with your fingertips. Cut the edges until neat and chill in the fridge for about 10 minutes. 3 Put a smaller tart tin on the crust and bake for about 10 minutes until
cooked, but not brown. 4 Filling Beat the eggs, yoghurt and mustard, season with salt and pepper, then add the cheese and mix well. Transfer to the crust, then arrange the onion and broccoli on top. Lastly, top with the walnuts and bake for about 25-30 minutes or until the filling has set.
SPINACH PHYLLO ROLL
SERVES 4 PREPARATION: 20 MIN COOKING: 30 MIN 400g mushrooms, cleaned and sliced 15ml (1T) soy sauce 200g chopped spinach, washed salt and pepper 230g creamed cottage cheese 2 eggs 125ml (½c) grated cheddar cheese 4 sheets phyllo pastry, defrosted melted butter sunflower and sesame seeds, for sprinkling
Preheat the oven to 190°C. Grease a large baking sheet with nonstick spray. 1 Put the mushrooms in a dry pan – no oil needed, as the mushrooms create their own moisture. Stir-fry until soft, add the soy sauce and mix through. Add the spinach and heat until the spinach wilts. Season with salt and pepper, then set aside. 2 Beat the cottage cheese and eggs together, add the cheddar cheese and mix well. Then add the spinach mixture. 3 Brush each sheet of phyllo pastry with melted butter and layer the sheets. Transfer to the baking sheet. Add the spinach mixture to the centre of the phyllo pastry. Fold the short sides of the pastry inward, then fold the long sides over to cover the filling. Brush more butter over the pastry, sprinkle a few seeds over and bake for about 25 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown. Slice and serve.
VEGGIE TART
Long, thin veggie strips make this tart pleasing to the eye. The dough for the crust is easily made in a food processor.
SERVES 4 PREPARATION: 40 MIN COOKING: 40 MIN
CRUST 375ml (1½c) white bread flour 1,25ml (¼t) salt 125g chilled butter, cubed 125ml (½c) grated mature cheddar cheese a pinch of cayenne pepper 1 egg yolk, lightly whisked 5ml (1t) lemon juice
20ml (4t) chilled water FILLING 5-6 baby marrows, cleaned 5 medium carrots, scraped clean 230g chunky cottage cheese with chives 4 eggs, beaten salt and freshly ground pepper 80ml (¹₃c) coriander pesto 1 round feta extra fresh coriander for sprinkling Preheat the oven to 200°C. Grease 2 rectangular tins or 1 round springform tin. 1 Crust Put the flour and salt in a food processor, then add the butter, cheddar cheese and cayenne pepper and pulse until well combined. Mix the egg yolk, lemon juice and chilled water and slowly add to the food processor while continuing to pulse. Mix until a dough forms. Remove and roll into a long roll. Chill in the fridge for about 20 minutes. 2 Slice the dough into strips and arrange in the tin(s), then press down with your fingertips. Cut the edges so they’re neat. Chill for another 20 minutes, then put a smaller tin inside and bake for about 20 minutes until cooked but not brown. 3 Filling Using a veggie peeler, slice the baby marrow and carrots into long, thin strips – it helps to put the veggies flat on the work surface to achieve this. 4 Mix the cottage cheese and eggs, season with salt and pepper, then add half the coriander pesto. Mix well, then transfer to the tin(s). 5 Now arrange the veggies in long rows – carrots together, then baby marrows. 6 Top with the rest of the pesto, then crumble a little feta over. Bake for about 35-40 minutes or until the filling has set. Finish with the fresh coriander.