Mushroom, Spinach + Cheddar Tarts
I love magazines. I love scouring them for all sorts of ideas, and food is no exception. This month's Real Simple magazine has been pretty jam-packed with good recipes. I've already made 2 of them and both have earned spots in my permanent recipe collection.
It's only fair that I share with you, don't you think?
And I really love this recipe. Not only does it utilize my friends puff pastry and white wine, but it combines vegetables with decadence. Perfection, wouldn't you say?
I love this recipe even more because it can easily be a weeknight meal yet it's completely appropriate for a dinner party, or even made into smaller pieces for a cocktail party. The earthiness of the mushrooms combine just beautifully with the sharp cheddar cheese while the white wine adds a depth of flavor that I just love so much. It's really a miracle ingredient.
Mushroom, Spinach + Cheddar Tarts
*Adapted from Real Simple
1 sheet of puff pastry, defrosted
1-2 pkg mushrooms, sliced (I used a mix of white button and baby bella)
2 C fresh spinach
1 shallot, diced
1/4 C white wine (I used Pinot Grigio)
1 C extra sharp white cheddar cheese, grated
kosher salt & pepper
olive oil
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Heat a bit of olive oil in a skillet. Add the shallot and cook for a few minutes. Add the mushrooms and season with salt and pepper.
Cook until the mushrooms are tender, about 5 minutes, but don't overcook them since they are going to cook in the oven too. Add the wine and spinach and cook until the spinach wilts and the wine starts to evaporate, just a couple of minutes. Meanwhile, unfold the puff pastry and cut into four equal squares. Prick them all over with a fork. Cover the pastry with half of the cheese, leaving a border around the edges.
This is also a good time to sample some of that cheese. You know, just to make sure it's tasty.
Add the mushroom-spinach mixture to the pastries and then cover each one with the remaining cheese.
Bake for about 20-25 minutes until the cheese is melted and the pastry is golden brown.
We enjoyed this alongside a salad and it was the perfect, elegant, quick dinner for 2. Not to mention some sweet leftovers that Shaun took for lunch the next day.
Oh and the base of this recipe can be used about 100 different ways by simply changing up the vegetables and cheese. I'm envisioning goat cheese and tomato tarts, feta and artichoke tarts, these would even work as mini pizzas! The possibilities are endless.
Are you a magazine reader? What are some of your favorites?
15 Comments | February 23, 2011 | Share Article | Email Article | tagged Cheese, Recipes, mushrooms, tart | in Recipes Print Article | Permalink
Reader Comments (15)
so pretty! and i love your orange placemat!! i love food magazines. i get cooking light and eating well
mmm! Looks good. Puff pastry makes everything taste like and delicious!
I am definitely a magazine person! I'm all about the food mags of course and I've always loved Self and as a newlywed I really like The Nest!
Yum, what a great combination of flavors!
ohmylordygoodness. that looks to DIE for.
you know, I have a subscription to Cosmo from back when magazines used to be what got me through a treadmill workout. but now that my treadmills at the gym have a TV on 'em, I never really get around to reading them!
I think it's cause I really only read when I'm laying out in the sun. bring oooonnn summer! ;)
this sounds great - your recipes on my to-cook list are piling up faster than i can cook!
this looks so good! i need to put puff pastry on my grocery list!
OMG!! I am MAGAZINE OBSESSED, and the fact that your name is Rachel too makes it so much better! If you go back through my posts you'll see all my magazine related obsessions. That mushroom, spinach & cheddar tart looks amaaazing! :)
Rachel, so happy you found us! And happy that I have now found your blog too!
I am a magazine whore for sure. I subscribe to about 20 magazines...but my favorites are Clean Eating, Real Simple, and Women's Health.
That tart looks delicious!
Ahh so many Rachels!! Love it.
Your tarts look fab, I love puff pastry but have never actually worked with it myself! My favorite food magazine is probably Fine Cooking. I don't subscribe to it (or any other food magazines actually) but I usually pick up a few issues each year.
I just happened across your blog, and I LOVE this post! First, because mushrooms and white wine are 2 of my top kitchen loves as well. And second, because you taste your ingredients as you go, which I can't help doing. =) I might have to make these this weekend for my in-laws.
So happy you found us Jenna! Let me know how it turns out!
Genius! I'm so glad you posted this! bookmarked fo sho! I can see where you're going with the mini pizza tart idea =) loooving it!
mushrooms, I think, are on of my favorite foods of all time. if I'm hungry after a meal, sometimes, instead of dessert, I'll eat mushrooms. Needless to say, this tart looks like something my tastebuds would enjoy completely. I'd have to make it gluten free, but yum!
I'm a total sucker for food magazines, or natural living magazines. I sometimes go into long lines in the grocery store on purpose so I can look at the magazines on display!
That puffy pastry looks beautiful, all brown and gorgeous!! I love it!