Mushrooms-buttery and smokey in a puff pastry tart
Posted on October 9, 2013 by in vegetarian
Mushrooms with butter, hints of thyme and smoked paprika in a puff pastry tart sounds like something on a posh restaurant menu, doesn’t it!
Mushrooms should very well be on every posh restaurant’s menu as far as I’m concerned! They are so incredibly versatile and good for you! I think however the misconception that people have is that mushrooms are expensive! They are when we enjoy them as a side dish, but if you cook or treat mushrooms as your main meal, it is most definitely not that pricey! Not that there is anything wrong with adding mushrooms to a meat dish, but when you have a limited budget, you often find yourself walking passed the punnets of mushrooms! Trust me, the man in your life will kiss your feet if you prepare this Roast Beef Brisket with Mushrooms for him! I got some serious feet kissing when I prepared this simple Chicken and Mushroom Stew, so I will definitely be making this one again!
Let’s talk about meatless dishes where mushrooms are the showstoppers! Take the big old portebello mushrooms for instance, they are as meaty and juicy as any piece of meat and I find that it goes down well with even the meat lovers. I stuff them with courgettes and cheese and I promise you they are lip smackingly good! My all time favorite way to serve mushrooms, especially when we are in need of comfort food, is this Red wine risotto with pan-friend shiitake mushrooms! Heavenly!
Mushrooms are very good for you! They are a source of polysaccaharides which stimulates the immune system via its stimulating effect on natural cell activity. Mushrooms are rich in anti-oxidants, contain selenium in quatities much higher than in any other plant food. All of these protect the body against cancer by getting rid of free radicals and defending the body against invading organisms.
Very important:
Mushrooms contain a fatty acid conjugated linoleic acid that has the ability to inhibit two enzymes called Aromatase and 5-Alpha Reductase, both involved in breast and prostrate cancers. So, bottom line, buy and eat those mushrooms as much as you like, they are good for you!
The mushroom tart is really dead simple to make, but it delivers on taste, appearance and definitely has a wow factor!
Mushroom Tart with Parmesan cream
makes 6 individual tarts ( 15 cm )
Ingredients
2 x 250 punnets mushrooms ( any kind, but we’d love it if you buy the pink punnets)
45 ml olive oil
2 cloves garlic – finely chopped
100 g butter
5 ml smoked paprika
2 sprigs fresh thyme
salt and black pepper
100 g Fairview Chevin
125 ml grated parmesan
125 ml cream
more fresh thyme for serving
1 roll puff pastry ( 400 g )
1 egg – lightly beaten to make an egg wash
Method
Preheat the oven to 200 C. Roll out the puff pastry on floured surface and cut out 6 x 15 cm circles. Place on a baking sheet that you have lined with baking paper. Use a pastry brush and brush with the egg wash. When the oven is hot enough, bake the pastry circles for 10-15 minutes or until they are puffed up and golden brown! Cool slightly.
While the pastry is baking, clean and slice the mushrooms into slices. Heat a big pan on the stove and add the butter and oil. Add the paprika and 2 sprigs of thyme. Add half the mushrooms and fry them on high heat until they are just cooked, not watery. They must catch at the bottom of the pan, but not burn! Add the garlic and the other half of the mushrooms. Saute until cooked. Season with salt and pepper.
Mix half the parmesan cheese with the cream cheese and divide evenly between the pastry circles. Spread over the pastry adn top with some mushrooms. Once you have done all the tarts, pop them bakc into the oven for about 5 minutes. In the meantime, beat the cream to thicken and add the other half of the parmesan. Remove the tarts from the oven, serve on beautiful plates with a spoonful of the parmesan cream and some more black pepper.
Mushroom tart for Paeotarians, made on Oopsie Bread!
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