Carmelized Potato Parsnip Tart

A few weeks ago, I found something fantastic.

Something that is destined to change a lot of things in my avid kitchen. Like how I make Ina's goat cheese & tomato tart or cinnamon buns, for instance.

That is, if I ever decide to go ahead and try making them.

I've heard so many good things about puff pastry, though I had never worked with before. When I offered to make a vegetable tart for Christmas Eve after seeing it in Food Network Magazine, I had to give it a test drive before serving it on the big day. And since puff pastry plays a major role in this star dish, I figured it was time.

Not only was the intimidating pastry super easy to work with, it baked up into a flaky delicious base for the sweet and savory tart. Topped with potatoes, sweet potatoes, parsnips, onions and a light caramel sauce, this tart was a perfect weeknight dinner as well as a delicious hot appetizer cut into small pieces for our Christmas Eve celebration.

Carmelized Potato Parsnip Tart
*Adapted from Food Network Magazine
2 medium potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
2 medium parsnips, peeled and thinly sliced
1 small onion, sliced
3 tbsp olive oil
kosher salt
black pepper
1/2 C sugar
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 tsp dried sage
1 tsp dried oregano
1 1/2 C mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed
All purpose flour, for rolling out the pastry

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Peel and cut up the potatoes, parsnips and sweet potatoes.  Toss with olive oil, onion, salt and pepper, spread onto a {foil-lined} baking sheet and roast for about 45 minutes or until vegetables are soft.

In a sauce pan, mix 2 tbsp water and sugar. Bring to a boil and stir frequently so as not to burn. Cook for about 7 minutes until the sauce is amber. Remove from heat and stir in the vinegar.

Pour and spread {very quickly before it hardens} into the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish (Note: The first time I used an aluminum baking dish, but the second time I used glass. Since the caramel hardens very quickly, I found the glass dish to work a bit better). Layer the vegetables on top, sprinkling with a bit of salt, the sage and oregano.

 

Sprinkle on the mozzarella. Next, roll out the thawed puff pastry using a rolling pin and a bit of flour. Once it's rolled out to the size to cover the vegetables, prick the entire thing with a fork (This is very important! Prick it allllll over. See below image). Cover the cheese and vegetables, folding the ends of the pastry in if it's too big.

Put it in the oven. And be careful of who's holding the camera while putting said tart in oven. Sometimes the photos turn out semi-inappropriately.

Bake for 20 minutes at 400 degrees and then reduce the temperature to 350, baking for 15-20 minutes move until finished. Let cool for 10 minutes.

Here's where it gets tricky. Since this is essentially an upside down tart, it requires a little skill to get it out of the pan. Run a knife around the edges of the tart. Place a cutting board face down over the top of the pan and very quickly (with potholders on - it's still hot!), turn the entire pan over onto the cutting board. The tart should come right out, but some banging on the top and light shaking might be in order. If any pieces stick to the pan, just replace them on top of the tart.

Don't worry, I've made it twice and didn't have a problem getting it out of the pan either time!

 

Doesn't it look delicious? The carmelization on top of the savory vegetables over the flaky crust is simply mouth-watering. Even the blackened bits were to die for. Oh and I have to admit that I had also not working with parsnips before this endeavor and always felt they fell into that 'obscure ingredient' category. I'm so happy that I finally jumped on the parsnip train! It's a great, carrot-like vegetable that was a simply wonderful addition to the potato duo.

So there you have it. A yummy, easy tart that's perfect for a weeknight dinner or for an elegant party. Have you ever worked with puff pastry? How about parsnips, or another obscure ingredient?

Christmas Breakfast: Baked French Toast Casserole

It’s Tuesday and I only have 2 more work days until my own personal Christmas Vacation! I am so excited for the holidays. Last night I left Shaun at home and met up with Lindsey (of Two Girls, Two Pies) for a little ladies night to celebrate her newly engagedness! We did a little shopping on Fifth Avenue and then had a low key dinner at Chat ‘n Chew at Union Square, complete with macaroni & cheese and red wine. Perfection, no?

L and me, circa 2007

It’s no secret that I love breakfast (Don’t believe me? See this, this and this.). While Shaun is of the savory mind (read: he only likes eggs for breakfast), I don’t mind getting a little sweet. And since Christmas just isn’t decadent enough on it’s own, I felt it necessary to introduce a Christmas morning breakfast tradition a few years back (you know, in addition to all of the cookies). It’s the one time of year that I can justify this absolute glutton of a dish. It’s a baked French toast casserole, inspired by the Queen of All Things Butter herself, Ms. Paula Deen. After the first year that I made this dish, a bonafide Christmas morning tradition was born.

Hearty, nutty, sweet, it’s everything a good French toast should be. It’s moist but not too eggy. The buttery topping is rich, but hey, it’s Christmas. Am I right or am I right? This is all not even to mention that since you prepare it the night before and pop it into the oven to bake on Christmas morning makes it a snap to put together on the big day. You know, so you don’t miss a second of present giving and opening.

Baked French Toast Casserole with Praline Topping
*Adapted from Paula Deen
For the casserole:
1 loaf French bread, sliced
2 C half and half
1 C milk
8 large eggs
2 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tbsp vanilla extract
¼ tsp salt
Butter, for baking dish
For the praline topping:
2 sticks butter, softened
1 C light brown sugar (I used Splenda blend)
1 C chopped pecans
2 tbsp light corn syrup
½ tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground nutmeg

In a 13x9 inch buttered baking dish, layer the slices of French bread until the entire pan is filled. (Note: For this version, I used a combo of French bread and special bread that my mom and dad eat - it works just as well).

In a large mixing bowl, combine the milk, half and half, eggs, sugar, nutmeg, cinnamon, vanilla and salt. Whisk altogether, breaking up the eggs and incorporating the entire mixture together. Pour all over the bread, making sure to get it in between the slices.

Cover and refrigerate overnight. In the morning, quickly make the topping. You can also make it the night before, but it may be cold and more difficult to spread over the casserole. Mix together the butter, brown sugar, pecans, corn syrup, cinnamon and nutmeg. I threw it altogether in a stand mixer, but if the butter is soft enough it can easily be done by hand. Spread all over the top of the casserole. Bake for 45 minutes. Serve, enjoy and smile because it’s Christmas!

Though it’s so not necessary, I serve mine along with some real maple syrup. Why stop at cream, eggs and carbs?

So there you have it. A little peak at one of our Christmas traditions. Now tell me some of yours! What are your favorite Christmas traditions?

Three Bean Chili

I'm not gonna lie. I make a mean chili. Usually consisting of pretty basic ingredients like ground beef and ground turkey, some beans, crushed tomatoes and spices. But when my friend Lauren asked if I'd ever made a vegetarian version (you know, one that she could actually try since she doesn't eat meat), I realized that it never occured to me to make it meatless. And so a challenge was born.

I assumed that the same basic chili principles that I use for my meat-filled chili would apply.

This chili was so easy to prepare. Packed with veggies and beans, it's hearty and filling. When I told Shaun that I was making a meatless chili...well, let's just say he was...skeptical. But the final verdict? Neither of us missed the meat. Shaun even transformed the chili into other dishes throughout the week (since somehow I felt it necessary to make a vat large enough to provide for hibernating bears). First up, he added a dollop of sour cream and some baked tortilla chips and we had a nice chili dip for the Jets game on Monday night. Though we've since blacked out the evening from our minds (if you saw the game, you'll understand), this dish was the only memorable part of the night.

I also came home from Zumba on Tuesday to find my love preparing huevos rancheros at 9:30 (gotta love a man who cooks). Utilizing the chili, he layered low fat sour cream, low fat cheddar cheese, scrambled eggs and the veggie chili atop a whole wheat tortilla that he lightly sauteed to crispify. Not bad, right?

The best part is that you can really add any vegetables that you want to this chili. I used carrots, celery and bell peppers, but I bet you could also mix in some asparagus or spinach as well.

Three Bean Chili
2 small onions, diced
4 celery stalks, roughly chopped
1 ½ C carrots, chopped (I used a few handfuls of baby carrots and chopped ‘em up)
1 garlic clove, minced
4 bell peppers, roughly chopped, ribs & seeds removed (I used a combination of red & green)
1 tbsp butter or light butter
1 tbsp olive oil
kosher salt
2 cans canellini beans, rinsed & drained
2 cans black beans, rinsed & drained
2 cans red kidney beans, rinsed & drained
2 28oz cans crushed tomatoes (I use Red Pack)
2 28 oz cans tomato sauce (I use Red Pack)
4 tbsp cumin
3 tbsp chili powder

Chop up all the veggies. In a big stock pot, heat the butter and olive oil and add the onions, sautéing for a couple of minutes. Add the celery and carrots, sprinkle with kosher salt, and give it a big stir. This is your mirepoix. The holy trinity of aromatics if you will.

Let that cook for a few minutes and then add the peppers and garlic. We’re layering flavors here people!

Once softened, about 3-4 minutes, add the rinsed beans and stir all together. It might require a bit of elbow grease to get ‘er done since the pot will be about halfway to two-thirds full. Next, add in the crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce and spices. Mix all together now.

Bring it to a boil and then turn to simmer. With the lid to the pot slightly ajar so that steam can escape, simmer for at least 2 hours, stirring occasionally. The chili will reduce and start to smell heavenly. You’ll be left with a delicious chili for all to enjoy. While the cumin and chili powder to give the chili some depth, if you want it spicy (which we did not), you can also sprinkle in some cayenne pepper.

So there you have it. A tale of my meatless chili. So what do you think? Have you ever transformed a favorite dish to suit other needs? Like those of a vegetarian friend? :)