Day 282 Mushroom Onion Tartlets

Mushroom Onion Tartlets

4 Ounces Vegan Cream Cheese
3 Tablespoons Earth Balance
3/4 Cup All Purpose Flour
8 Ounces Fresh Mushrooms, coarsely chopped
1 Bunch Green Onions, sliced
8 Ounces Silk Tofu
1/2 Cup Almond Milk
1 Tablespoon Arrowroot
1/2 Vegan Cheese, shredded
1 Teaspoon Thyme Leaves

Crust:  Place cream cheese and 2 Tablespoons Earth Balance in the bowl of a stand mixer. Using the flat head beater, mix on Speed 4 for 1 minute.  Stop and scrape down the bowl.  Add the flour.  Mix at Speed 2 until well blended.  Form mixture into a ball.  Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Mushroom mix

Filling:  Melt remaining 1 Tablespoon of Earth Balance in a skillet. Add the mushrooms and green onions.  Cook over medium heat until tender.  Cool slightly.

Tofu mix

Place tofu, milk, arrowroot and thyme in the mixer bowl.  Using flat beater, mix at Speed 6 for 30 seconds.  Stir in cheese.  Mix with mushrooms.

Unbaked tartlets

Assembly:  Preheat the oven to 375 F.  Divide the dough into 18 - 24 pieces.  Press a piece into a muffin tin. Fill with mushroom mix.  Top with a small circle of dough.  Bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until the top is golden brown.  Serve warm.

Makes 10 - 12

Pairs well with 2003 Thibault Liger-Belair Clos Vougeot

Soundtrack Britney Spears - Glory

Day 120 Onion Focaccia

Onion Focaccia

2 1/2 Teaspoons Yeast (1 Package)
1 Cup Warm Water
1 Teaspoon Salt
3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
Pinch Sugar
2 1/2 Cups Wheat Flour, mix of white and whole wheat
1 Cup Onions, thinly sliced
Olive Oil, Salt, and Pepper

1.  Dissolve the yeast in warm water with the salt, olive oil, and sugar in a stand mixer with a dough hook attached.  Add the flour, 1/2 cup at a time with the motor running.  Mix (knead) until the dough forms a ball.  Place the dough in a oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap.  Put in a warm place and let rise for 40 minutes.

2.  Toss the onions with olive oil, salt and pepper.

Rolled Dough

3. After the dough has risen, turn it onto the counter and shape it with a rolling pin into a square or rectangle about a 1/2 thick.  Place on parchment paper on a pizza peel.   Spread the onions over the top and press lightly into the dough.  Let the dough rise for 1 hour.

Ready to rise

4.  While the dough is rising, preheat the oven to 450 F, with a pizza stone in the oven.

5.  After the dough has risen, slide onto the pizza stone.  Bake for 30 minutes or until browned.  Spray the oven and bread with a fine mist of water two or three times during the baking.  Serve hot from the oven.

Risen and ready to bake

Goes well with Indian Chickpea Stew

Pairs well with Anthologia Falerno del Massico

Soundtrack Royal Thunder - Crooked Doors

Day 18 Leek and Onion Pie

Leek Onion Pie

Leek and Onion Pie

Pastry

1 Cup All Purpose Flour, plus additional for rolling
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
1/2 Teaspoon Baking Powder
Water
3 Tablespoons Olive Oil

Filling

1 1/2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
6 Leeks, trimmed and sliced into 1 inch pieces
2 Sweet Onions, chopped
1 Cup Cilantro, chopped
1/3 Cup Dill, chopped
1 Mint Sprig, chopped
Zest of one Lemon
Juice of one Lemon
Salt and freshly Ground Pepper, to taste
1 Tablespoon Bulgar

Rolled crust 

1. To make pastry: Add flour, salt and baking powder to food processor fitted with a plastic dough disk. Pulse to mix,  With motor running, add enough water to make sure dough is soft, but not wet. Add 1 Tablespoon of oil.  Run until well combined. Dough should form a ball. Turn out dough on to a well floured surface.  Cover with plastic wrap and let rest for 1 to 2 hours in the refrigator.  You can make the dough a day in advance.

Trimmed Leeks

2.  Preheat oven to 350 F.  Lightly oil a 2 quart baking dish,

Herbs

3.  To make filling: Heat oil in a large heavy skillet over medium heat.  Add the leeks and onion. Cook, stirring occasionally until tender, about 12-15 minutes.  Reduce heat to low if the leeks begin to brown.  Add a little water if the mixture begins to stick.  Remove from heat, add herbs and lemon. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.

Bottom crust

4.  Divide dough into 2 parts, one for the bottom crust and one for the top.  The size of your parts will depend on the width and depth of your dish.  I used a deep souffle dish so my portions were 3/4 to 1/4.  Roll the larger part out and place in the dish.  The dough needs to go over the side of the dish.  Brush with olive oil.

Filled pie

5.  Sprinkle bulgar over the dough in the dish; this will soak up juices as the pie cooks.  Spoon in the leek mixture.  Roll out the remaining dough is a circle slightly larger that size of the dish.  Pull in any excess dough from the lower crust to cover the leek mix.  Top with the smaller piece of dough.  Pinch the bottom and top crusts together to seal.  Brush the top with olive oil.  Make several large pricks in the top dough to release steam.  Bake until golden, about 1 hour.

Ready to eat

Goes will with Spinach Beet Salad

Soundtrack - Beach Fossils - Clash the Truth