Roll the puff pastry out into a square of about 2-3  mm thick. Cut the pastry into 4 individual square portions.

With a fork, mix in a small bowl the goat’s cheese and cream together, and spread the mixture evenly on the puff pastry squares with the back of a teaspoon.

Shred the ham into coarse strips and spread evenly onto the creamed squares. Toss the asparagus in nice heaps at the center of each square, and finish with the pine nuts, a light drizzle of lemon juice, olive oil, and pepper.

Bake for 15 minutes or until nicely golden (don’t leave it too long otherwise the asparagus will dry out).

Just before serving, add a small handful of rocket, a few sea salt flakes and a drizzle of olive oil, and serve immediately.

Bon appetit!

Lightly oil and line a tart dish (loose bottom is best) with the shortcrust pastry. Pierce wholes with a fork across the pastry to prevent air bubbles form forming, and bake for 15 minutes. When ready, take out of the oven and crank up the heat to 240 degrees C.

In the meantime, heat the olive oil in a large pan with tall sides. Add the garlic and raisins and sauté for 30 seconds, until flagrant. Add the spinach, mix well and cover with a lid. Cook for 5-7 minutes until all the leaves are wilted, mixing occasionally.

Toss the spinach into a colander and press their juices out. Using a scissor, chop them coarsely. Transfer back to the pan on low heat and mix in with 1 tablespoon creme fraiche and salt and pepper. Cook for 30 sec until the creme has melted into the spinach.

Transfer the spinach onto the dry crust, place prettily on top the sliced camembert, and bake for 6-7 minute or until the camembert starts browning. You don’t want to leave it too long otherwise the cheese will dry out.

Serve immediately.

Meanwhile, sift the flour.

When the water-butter mixture is boiling, take the saucepan off the heat and pour the flour over at once. With a wooden spatula, mix energetically until you obtain a compact and homogeneous dough that leaves the edges of the saucepan clean. If the dough sticks to the saucepan, place it back on the heat and keep stirring until it gathers around the spatula.

Stir in one by one 4 eggs, adding the next only after the previous one has been well mixed in. The dough must be firm and supple.

Add the Piment d’Espelette, a pinch of nutmeg and 3/4 of the cheese and mix well.

Preheat the oven to 210 degrees.

Line an oven tray with baking paper. Fill a cup with cold water. Dip 2 teaspoons in it and with the help of the wet spoons, scoop out some dough from the saucepan and shape it into a little ball of a diameter of about 3 cm (a bit over 1 inch).

Leave at least 3 cms between each ball. You may insert a grape in the middle of some gougères so add variety and because grapes and cheese go so well together (see my picture).

Beat the last egg and brush the dough balls with it. Finish by sprinkling the remaining cheese on top of each ball.

Place the gougères in the oven and bake them for 5 minutes with the oven door slightly open (stick a bunched up tea towel between the top of the door and the oven). Then close the door and bake for another 20 minutes, until the gougères are all puffed up and browned.

When ready, turn the oven off, open the oven door wide and for extra crispiness, leave the gougères in the open oven for another 5 minutes.

Serve immediately or transfer to a grid and let cool completely.

If using large seeds such as sunflower seeds, crush them into small pieces by rolling a rolling pin or bottle over them.

Add the flour, salt, oats, and sugar if using, and mix.

Add the olive oil and almond purée if using. Mix with a mixer or with your hands to obtain fine crumbs.

Then add the egg if using, mix and add water little by little, mixing constantly and stopping as soon as the dough is moist enough to form a ball.  Based on the type of flour and seeds you are using and whether or not you are using an egg, the quantity of water needed can vary from nearly none to 6 tablespoons.

Roll down the pastry right away and place it 15 minutes in the freezer or 30 minutes in the fridge  before using it.

]]> http://tastydiaries.com/newtasty/olive-oil-oats-and-grains-shortcrust-pastry/feed 0 http://tastydiaries.com/newtasty/quiche-with-cauliflower-almond-parsley-and-goats-cheese http://tastydiaries.com/newtasty/quiche-with-cauliflower-almond-parsley-and-goats-cheese#comments Wed, 17 Feb 2010 14:58:30 +0000 Anne-Laure http://tastydiaries.com/newtasty/?p=2387 Lightly oil a tart dish (loose-base if possible, this will allow you to unmould the quiche easily) and line it with the pastry. Pierce it on several places with a fork.

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees.

Grate the cauliflower using the large holes of your grater.

Mix the olive oil with the eggs. Stir the flour into the egg mixture then add the milk slowly. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt, pepper, and a pinch of nutmeg.

Toss in the cauliflower, crumbled goat’s cheese, herbs and pine nuts and mix.

Pour the cauliflower mixture inside the crust and bake for 35 minutes or until nicely browned.

Let cool for 10 minutes before unmoulding and cutting slices, and serve with a green salad.

Add the egg and mix thoroughly with the flour. Melt the butter and pour it slowly over the flour, mixing constantly until obtaining a dry crumble-like texture. Start adding the water slowly, stirring constantly and making sure no dry lumps form. As soon as the batter becomes manageable enough, switch to a whisk. Keep pouring the water little by little, whisking it into the batter. When finished, the batter should have the texture of liquid cream. Give it an energetic beating, whisking and lifting for a few minutes. This will make the crepes lighter and improve their texture, so have a good go at it.

Leave to rest for at least 3 hours or overnight if you can. The batter will have thickened a bit so when you are ready to use it, stir in a small glass of water or use beer if you want your crêpes extra light and crispy .

Warm up a large non-stick frying pan. Once the pan is hot, place a knob of butter in a square of kitchen towel and rub the inside of the pan with the butter. Take the pan off the heat and pour a ladle (about 60 mL) of batter on it. Rotate the pan with your wrist to allow the batter to spread on the entire surface of the pan. Place it back on the hob and cook on medium heat for 2 minutes or so, until the bottom side of the crêpe is browned. Turn the crêpe over and cook for 1 more minute. You can add the filling at this stage or transfer the crêpe to a plate if you want to make them all at once and cook them with the filling later.

Rub a bit more butter on the pan and make the next crêpe.

Savoury filling ideas:

• Crêpe complète: place a slice of cooked ham in the middle of the crêpe, crack open an egg on top and sprinkle grated comté cheese around the yolk. Once the egg white is cooked, sprinkle with pepper and fold the sides of the crêpe on top of the filling, leaving the yolk to show at the center.
• Cooked mushrooms and cream
• Roquefort and pear, with roquette on top
• Butter-braised leeks and pancetta
• Simply ham and cheese
• Goat’s cheese and onion confit
• Goat’s cheese and cooked spinach
• Melted salted butter (my ultra favourite!)

Allow the batter to rest for at least 2 hours before making the crepes. If you can, take the batter out of the fridge at least one hour beforehand and give it a good stir just before using it.

Warm up a large non-stick frying pan. Once the pan is hot, place a knob of butter in a square of kitchen towel and rub the inside of the pan with the butter. Take the pan off the heat and pour a ladle (about 60 mL) of batter on it. Rotate the pan with your wrist to allow the batter to spread on the entire surface of the pan. Place it back on the hob and cook on medium heat for 1 minute or so, until the bottom side of the crêpe is browned. Turn the crêpe over and cook for another minute. You can add the filling at this stage (reduce the heat to low) or transfer the crêpe to a plate if you want to make them all at once. If making these for dessert, sprinkle each crêpe with a bit of sugar. Don’t worry if the first crêpe does not come out right, the first one is often a miss as the heat has not had time to spread properly across the entire pan yet. Don’t bin it though, eat it – the cook’s privilege. If the batter feels a bit thick, add a bit more water.

Rub some butter on the pan and make the next crêpe.

Savoury filling ideas:

• “Crêpe complète” (a Breton classic): place a slice of cooked ham in the middle of the crêpe, crack open one egg on top and sprinkle grated comté cheese around the yolk. Once the egg white is cooked, sprinkle with pepper and fold the sides of the crêpe on top of the filling and into a square shape, leaving the yolk to show at the center.
• Cooked mushrooms and cream
• Roquefort and pear, with roquette on top
• Butter-braised leeks and pancetta
• Simply ham and cheese
• Goat’s cheese and onion confit
• Goat’s cheese and cooked spinach
• Melted salted butter (sooo bad but soooo good!)

Sweet filling ideas:

• Sugar (my favorite)
• Dark chocolate shavings
• Nutella (a must in my family!)
• Fruit jams
• Fruit purée or cooked fruits – try butter-caramelised apples slices and once the crêpe and its filling are hot, add one tablespoon of Grand Marnier on top,  light it up and watch the blue flames do their job. So delicious!
• Banana slices and chocolate
• Agave syrup

Gently boil the raisins in the wine in a small saucepan until the raisins have absorbed most of it (you can also microwave the raisins in the wine for 6 to 7 minutes).

Cut the stilton into 1 cm cubes, keeping the crust on. Peel, core and chop the pears into same sized cubes.

In a large mixing bowl, mix the flour and baking powder. Add the eggs, cream, a good sprinkling of pepper and a bit of salt. Mix with a spatula until homogeneous.

Add the pears, walnuts, drained raisins and stilton and mix gently.

Butter a loaf tin and pour the mixture into it. Bake for about 35 minutes, until nicely browned.

Let the cake cool down for 10 minutes before unmoulding and serve it sliced, warm or cold, with a green salad.

Bring water to the boil in a small saucepan, add the peas and cook for 4 minutes. When ready, drain and reserve.

Warm 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large frying pan. Toss the onions into the pan and sauté until transluscent (3-5 minutes).

Add the garlic and ground meat, cook for 1 minutes.

Add the tomato paste, cumin, mint, chilli if using, salt and pepper and cook for another 5 minutes. Take off the heat and gently stir in the peas.

Lay a filo sheet on a clean surface and brush it lightly with a bit of olive oil. Place a second sheet on top and spoon three tablespoons of the meat mixture on the center. Fold the filo on top of the meat by first folding two opposite sides on top of eachother, then folding the two other sides so as to obtain a square little packet. Brush both faces of the packet with a bit of oil, turning it over carefully so as not to tear the filo. Place it, folded side down, on an oven grid. With a sharp knife, cut a cross on top through the filo. Repeat until you run out of ingredients, the quantities should yield 6 to 7 packets.

Place the grid in the oven and bake for 12-15 minutes until the packets are nicely brown.

Serve with a herby green salad.

Cut the potato in large wedges and boil in salted water until tender. When ready, drain and cook for another minute to dry the flesh.

Peel and mash using the back of a fork.

Mix the flour, eggs, and milk. Stir the mixture into the mashed potato. Season with salt and pepper and add the dill.

Butter a non-stick pan (if you have a blinis pan, this is even better) and heat the pan on medium-low heat. Make small blinis by pouring two tablespoons of batter into a pastry circle, buttered and placed on the pan. You can also use a cookie cutter or simply allow the pancakes to spread as they cook. Cook for 2-3 minutes on one side, turn over and cook for another 1-2 minutes.

Allow the blinis to cool down and store in the fridge in a sealed container.

One day ahead or morning, prepare the tartare ingredients and the cream:

Chop the red onion finely. add the vinegar, sugar and stir. Marinate in the fridge for a couple of hours at least, or overnight.

Dice the smoked salmon in 1 cm squares and reserve in the fridge.

Mix the cream with a bit of salt and the lemon juice, and allow it to marinate in the fridge for 10 minutes (the lemon will change the consistency of the cream slightly and you want this process to happen before whipping it).

Whip the cream into a Chantilly (beat it very cold in a cold bowl). This should take you a minutes or less, stop as soon as the whisk leaves marks in the cream. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.

Keep in the fridge until time of serving.

10 minutes before serving:

Preheat oven to 160 degrees C.

Warm the potato pancakes up on by placing them on the grid of the hot oven for about 5 minutes.

Mix the salmon with the drained onions and a bit of the marinade to moisten the mixture. Press it to make the pieces stick together.

Serve the blinis on each plate with the tartare, a bit of cream and a wedge of lemon (optional). You can either spoon the tartare over the blinis or press it into a pastry circle, as I did on the picture.