Raspberry & White Chocolate Tarts

Last weekend saw a brief break in the rain long enough to get up to allotment to do some weeding, and whilst up there Jack picked a few raspberries. Some of them were quite ripe, and after a quick wash they were a little on the mushy side. We could've eaten them with vanilla ice cream but as I had a pack of puff pastry nearing it's use by date I thought tarts would make a nice dessert.

Making these couldn't be simpler, as they require zero cooking skills or effort, although if you want to refine your baking skills and learn some new tricks of the trade, corporate cooking classes could work for you.

Raspberry & White Chocolate Tarts - makes 8

320g pack of ready rolled puff pastry
2 tbsp milk

approx 200g ripe raspberries

1 tbsp caster sugar
75g good quality white chocolate

• slice the pastry sheet into 8 equal pieces
• lay the pastry onto a large baking tray (or 2 smaller ones) lined with baking paper
• brush the pastry sheets with milk
• gently mash the raspberries with the back of a fork
• spoon the raspberries into the centre of each pastry sheet and spread over the sheet, leaving approx 2cm around the edge
• sprinkle the sugar over each sheet, including around the edge
• bake in a 200C oven for approx 20 minutes, until the pastry is golden brown and puffed up
• allow to cool before drizzling with melted white chocolate

Ham, Egg & Tomato Brunch Parcels

The end of half term is coming to a close. Goodbye lazy mornings & hello again school runs. It's only a few more weeks until the Summer holidays though, and as this half term is usually the busiest and most exhausting, it will be a welcome relief.

With the weather here being so lovely this week, bedtimes have slipped back, mornings have become shorter and breakfasts have run into lunch. This has been a great excuse to eat brunch, which is so much more exciting than breakfast, as nothing is out of bounds. 

Pastries are not considered to be a healthy breakfast, but add eggs, tomatoes, lean turkey ham, and pop a handful of fresh greens on the side, it suddenly becomes a light, well balanced, and healthy brunch.

We're a bit partial to Bernard Matthews wafer thin Turkey Ham in this house, and it's my usual 'ham' of choice for sandwiches and quick meals. It's often added to a cheese toastie, or forms part of the husband's speciality omelettes or 'egg on beans on cheese on ham on toast', when he's left in charge of dinner. 

Here I've used a combination of the classic brunch/lunch ingredients of ham, egg and tomato in a tasty (and slightly spicy) puff pastry parcel, which is easy to prepare and quick to cook. The scrambled egg could even be made in advance and kept in the fridge, ready to assemble and bake right before brunch time.

Ham, Egg & Tomato Brunch Parcels - makes 6

tbsp olive oil

1/2 red chilli, finely chopped

3 sundried tomatoes, finely chopped

4 eggs, beaten

salt & pepper

6 slices Bernard Matthews wafer thin Turkey Ham, chopped

a few basil leaves, chopped

375g (approx) puff pastry sheet

60g grated Emmental cheese

• heat the olive oil in a non stick frying pan
• add the chill and tomatoes and cook over a medium heat for a couple of minutes
• add the eggs (reserving 2 tbsp for later) & a pinch of salt & pepper and increase the heat
• stir continuously to scramble the eggs
• remove from the heat and stir in the turkey ham & basil leaves
• unroll the pastry sheet & cut into 6 equal squares
• lay the pastry squares onto a lightly greased baking sheet
• spoon the scrambled egg into the centre of the squares
• top the egg with grated Emmental
• brush around the edges of the pastry with the reserved beaten egg
• fold the corners of the pastry into the centre to meet, and brush with more beaten egg
• bake in a preheated 200C oven for approximately 20 minutes, until puffed up and golden brown

serve warm or cold, or pop in a paper bag and take it with you for a brunch on the go!

this post has been commissioned by Bernard Matthews

Quarter Pound Mediterranean Burgers with Mango salsa

We've had some glorious summer-like weather over the past few days, so I've been taking advantage of this and have been cooking outside as much as possible - until the bbq gas ran out on me in the week,  just as I'd popped some chicken breasts on!

Thankfully I'd managed to cook these juicy burgers a couple of days previously. Everyone loved them and they can be prepared easily in advance and stored in the fridge until needed.

Quarter Pound Mediterranean Burgers with Mango salsa - makes 10 burgers

1 red pepper, chopped
1 onion, peeled & chopped
drizzle of olive oil (I used chilli oil)
handful green olives in garlic & herbs*
750g pork mince
1/2 tsp smoked paprika

• add the peppers & onion to an ovenproof dish
• drizzle the olive oil over & stir to coat
• cover with foil and roast in a preheated 200C oven for around 45 minutes, until softened, leave to cool
• finely chop the peppers, onion and olives together until it's the consistency of a lumpy paste
• mix this paste into the pork mince & add the paprika
• mix together until well combined
• divide mixture into 10 and form into burgers
• place in the fridge to firm up and cook under a grill or on a bbq

Mango Salsa

1 mango, chopped
handful of sweetcorn
juice of half a lemon
fresh coriander, chopped

• mix everything together

   

* For the burgers I used garlic & basil olives from The Real Olive Company, which I also used on a cheese, bacon, tomato & olive tart

Cheese, bacon, tomato & olive tart, with Garlic & Basil olives from The Real Olive Company

Posted by The Crazy Kitchen on Friday, 12 June 2015

Minted Asparagus & Ricotta Tart

Spring has been with us for a while now, although the wind has turned very cold this week, especially when the sun goes in. That hasn't stopped us spending as much time as we can outside, whether it's in the park improving our basketball skills or jet washing the decking.

What I'm really looking forward to most though, is al fresco dining with family and friends. I started boot camp a few weeks ago and have been doing a Friday night session for a couple of weeks, and there's nothing more satisfying than coming home from a workout, taking a shower, and then cracking open a bottle of wine to eat with dinner. Over the next few weeks, as the evenings get warmer, I'll be enjoying those glasses of wine in the garden hopefully.

The arrival of spring has also brought changes for Australia's number one heritage wine brand, Lindeman's, with the introduction of a new look bottle.

Each bottle from the Bin Range has been spruced up with the new Lindeman’s logo, focusing on the brand’s Australian background. The phrase ‘In Life Happiness’, which appears on the bottle in Latin, reflects Dr. Henry Lindeman’s words ‘the one purpose of wine is to bring happiness’. This motto truly underpins the Lindeman’s brand, bringing delight in each sip and 1,000 hours of sunshine in every drop.

To accompany a new look bottle of Lindeman's Bin 65 Chardonnay I've used some seasonal spring ingredients in a rustic tart - neat shortcrust pastry tarts have never really been my forté so it's a good job we like the rustic look.

I absolutely love asparagus and it's available so cheaply at the moment, so I'm making the most of it and buying plenty. I've teamed it up with some mint from my garden which I've recently planted and hope will be growing in abundance by the time Pimms season comes along.

Minted Asparagus & Ricotta Tart - makes a 23cm tart

375g sheet of ready rolled shortcrust pastry

4 eggs

300ml double cream

salt & pepper 

handful of fresh mint leaves, chopped

12 asparagus spears, trimmed

125g ricotta

• Lay the pastry sheet into a loose bottomed tart tin - you may need to roll out a little more if it doesn't fit your tin
• Place in the fridge for approx 30 minutes
• Place a sheet of baking paper over the pastry & cover with baking beans
• Bake in a preheated 180C oven for 10 minutes before removing the baking beans & paper & return to the oven for an additional 5 minutes
• Set aside whilst preparing the filling
• Whisk the eggs and cream together & season with salt & pepper & add the chopped mint leaves
• Pour the creamy egg mixture into the pastry case until it comes halfway up
• Lay the asparagus stems onto the egg mixture
• Crumble the ricotta in & pour more egg mixture in until it comes almost to the top
• Place into the oven and bake for 25 minutes until lightly golden brown

Serve warm or cold with baby new potatoes with herb butter, and a pea shoot and baby leaf salad

Lindeman's - it's the sunshine that makes it

I'm once again working with Lindeman's as an Ambassador - keep your eye out for future recipes, news and giveaways.

If you like what you see here then please consider voting for me in the 2015 Britmums Brilliance in Blogging Awards, in the food category. Thank you.

This post has been commissioned by Lindeman's

Strawberry & Balsamic Tarts

Balsamic vinegar has a place in my kitchen on an almost daily basis. It stands next to its partner in crime, extra virgin olive oil, and they make the perfect pairing on my salads and roasted vegetables.

I've seen sweet recipes that use balsamic vinegar, particularly with strawberries, but I'd never tried it for myself. That was until I received two gorgeous looking bottles of Due Vittorie Balsamic Vinegar of Modena.

This isn't just any run of the mill supermarket balsamic vinegar that I would usually buy to put on my salad, this is totally different, and is pure luxury. I decided that the best way to try it out would be in a dessert recipe.

Strawberry & Balsamic Tarts - makes 9

320g ready rolled puff pastry sheet
250g strawberries, hulled & sliced
1 tbsp caster sugar
Drizzle of good quality Balsamic, such as Due Vittorie Tradizionale
Creme Fraiche for serving

• Cut the pastry sheet into 9 equal rectangles
• Lay the strawberry slices onto each piece, leaving a border around the edge
• Sprinkle with caster sugar
• Bake in a preheated 200C oven for approx 20 mins, until golden brown & puffed up
• Drizzle with Balsamic and serve with creme fraiche

The combination of the sweet strawberries, creme fraiche and Balsamic was amazing, and it's a combination that has to be tried to be believed. The Due Vittorie Tradizionale is so smooth and so far away from the balsamic that I'm used to. It's a balsamic of the highest quality due to the 25 year aging process, and with it's £49.99 price tag it's one that's best saved for those special occasions.

More in my price range is the Due Vittorie Oro, priced at £9.99 for a 250ml bottle, which is only slightly more vinegary than the tradizionale, and to a balsamic novice like myself it tastes just as good. The more reasonably priced Oro is a great everyday balsamic that can be used as a salad dressing, with fruit and cheese, or as an alternative to soy sauce.

Both bottles are now available in Ocado, currently priced at £44.99 for the Tradizionale and £8.99 for the Oro

I was provided with the Due Vittorie Balsamic Vinegar for the purpose of review

Butternut Squash & Spinach Tarts

Puff pastry tarts are great for a quick and easy mealtime and can be topped with whatever each family member likes, a bit like a pizza. I often have a roll of ready made puff pastry in the fridge for end of the week emergency meals, and this was one of those. I had a lonely butternut squash and half a bag of baby spinach (although you can use frozen spinach, and 100g fresh equated to approx 35g of ready to use). I had one of these with a large salad for dinner, the husband enjoyed them for lunch, and Jack had a couple of slices as an after school snack. I will be testing them out on Hanna later, but as she usually loves food like this I'm sure she'll enjoy them. 

Butternut Squash & Spinach Tarts - makes 6

1 butternut squash (approx 750g)

cooking oil spray

100g fresh baby spinach

kettle of freshly boiled water

100g cream cheese

1 medium egg

black pepper

320g sheet of ready rolled puff pastry

• Halve the squash lengthways and scoop out the seeds, rinse and set aside
• Place the squash on a baking tray and spray with cooking spray
• Cover with foil and bake in a preheated 200C oven for approx 45mins to 1 hour (until tender)
• Slice the butternut squash & peel away the skin
• Place the spinach in a colander and pour the boiling water over to wilt
• Allow to cool and then squeeze all the liquid from the spinach
• Beat the spinach with the cream cheese and egg & add a pinch of black pepper
• Lay the pastry out and cut into 6 equal rectangles & place onto a baking sheet
• Divide the spinach & cream cheese mixture between the pastry sheets, leaving approx 1cm around the edge
• Top with slices of butternut squash and a few seeds
• Bake in the oven for approx 25 minutes, until the pastry is puffed up & golden brown

What would you top your tart with?

Chocolate Treacle Tart

When you've got three growing kids working their way through the contents of the fridge and cupboards it's good to have some dessert recipes that can be made quickly, easily and cheaply. Treacle tarts are a very cheap dessert to make, with the bulk of the filling being made up of breadcrumbs and golden syrup, and once you've made the pastry case the filling can easily be mixed together by the kids.

This version has the addition of cocoa powder to both the pastry and filling, and can be made with or without the crunchy topping. It was a massive hit with my kids (as well as a friend who visited), and one dessert that I'll be making again very soon. 

Find the full recipe here.

this recipe has been commissioned by Great British Chefs

Bramley Apple, Cheese & Bacon Tarts

This week it's Bramley apple week (2nd to 8th February), so I've been busily cooking up lots of recipes using these deliciously tart apples. Bramley apples have a higher acid content and lower sugar levels than eating apples, which produces a stronger, tangier tasting apple whose flavour is retained when cooking. I love using Bramley apples in cooking as they 'melt' down, and are great for making apple sauce too. 

The smell of freshly peeled Bramleys always reminds me of my childhood visits to a friend of my dads. He lived with his mum and she would either be in the kitchen baking an apple pie or picking fruit and vegetables from her garden when we visited on a Sunday.

These savoury tarts have a herby apple puree on the base, topped with cheese and bacon, which is a really tasty combination. They are easy to make using ready made (unsweetened) Bramley apple sauce, although it's really simple to make your own.

Bramley Apple, Cheese & Bacon Tarts - makes 4 tarts

2 Bramley apples
tbsp Balsamic vinegar
2 tsp dried thyme
2 tbsp water
320g sheet of ready rolled puff pastry
75g Wensleydale, grated
4 rashers dry cured streaky bacon, each cut into 3 pieces
pinch of dried thyme

• Peel, core and chop the apples
• Add them to a saucepan with the vinegar, 2 tsp thyme and water
• Place the lid on & heat gently for around 10 minutes, until the apple has cooked down to a sauce. set aside
• Lay the pastry sheet out and cut into four
• Score each sheet approx 1cm from the edge and prick the centre gently with a fork
• Spoon some apple sauce onto each sheet of pastry and smooth to the edges
• Sprinkle the cheese over the sauce, and top with the bacon and sprinkle with a little thyme
• Bake in a preheated 200C oven for approx 25 minutes

more apple recipes

more Bramley apple recipes

This recipe has been commissioned by Bramley Apples

Goats Cheese, Cranberry & Walnut Tart

If you're looking for ideas for your Christmas buffet table then this tart is sure you impress your guests, especially as they say that you can tell a lot about a woman by her buffet.

This tart includes three ingredients that signify Christmas to me - cranberries, cheese & nuts, and can be eaten warm or cold, and is perfect for that Christmas party.

You can find the full recipe on the Great British Chefs website here.

This recipe has been commissioned by Great British Chefs

Salted Caramel Chocolate Tarts with Pretzel Crust

If you didn't know already, this week is Chocolate Week, which of course means that it's ok to eat chocolate all week, so why not celebrate with this rich chocolate tart, which has a sweet and salty pretzel base, topped with salted caramel and an indulgent chocolate topping.

I made these when family came up for the day (including our giggly grandson), to follow a meal of chicken Korma, rice, naan bread and chutney. It was a lovely sweet end to the spicy meal, and the tarts went down well with chocolate ice cream - can you ever have too much chocolate?

Quite honestly I could've eaten a bowl of ice cream with the pretzel base all over it, as it was just so good. I love that sweet and salty combination and the roasted pretzel base didn't disappoint.

They were a little crumbly and could probably have done with being left a little longer in the fridge, but we couldn't wait a moment longer! You can find this recipe, along with more, on the Great british Chefs website.

This recipe was commissioned by Great British Chefs

Caramelised Onion & Goats Cheese Tarte Tatin

I have a confession to make. I have never made a tarte tatin before.

I've been kind of a little bit scared of making one, and now that I have, I realise that there was no need, as they really are quite simple - well this one was anyway. I haven't yet made a sweet version, but now I've popped my tarte tatin cherry I'm sure there will be many more to follow.

This one was a little bit sweet and a little bit salty, and, in the words of 12 year old Hanna who loved it, 'cheese and onion goes so well together'.

Caramelised Onion Tarte Tatin - serves 4

4 medium onions
1 tbsp olive oil
1 knob of butter
1 tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped
1.5 tbps balsamic vinegar
1.5 tbsp Kikkoman soy sauce
1 tbsp sugar
500g ready made puff pastry
75g Goats cheese

• Slice the onions into approx 1-1.5cm rings
• Heat the olive oil and butter in a large oven proof frying pan
• Preheat the oven to 180C
• Lay the onions into the pan and cook over a medium heat for 10 minutes, until softened and lightly browned
• Add the rosemary, balsamic, soy sauce and sugar to the pan
• Cook until the sauce caramelises
• Roll the puff pastry out to approx 5mm thick
• Cut a circle of pastry the same size as your pan
• Lay the pastry sheet over the onions
• Bake in the preheated oven for approx 15 minutes until the pastry is browned and puffed up
• Turn out onto a plate or board & scatter with crumbled goats cheese

More vegetarian recipes :

sun dried tomato & three cheese tart

cheese, onion & potato pasties

cheese & caramelised onion couronne

caramelised onion jam

cheese & rhubarb chutney tart

roasted vegetable cous cous

grilled halloumi & aubergine salad

aubergine & rocket salad

goats cheese, cranberry & walnut tart