Baked Apple and Custard Tarts

While I was making the Quiche Lorraine yesterday, I had a tiny bit of pastry left over for the crust. I decided to try something VERY out of my element.

[  Makes: 6  |  TIME: 30 MIN  |  COST: $4  ]
[  JOES' RATING: 4  / 5  |  MY RATING: 4  / 5 ]

Ingredients

Filling: Inspired from Essential Kids

1 apple
2 free ranged eggs
2 free ranged egg yolks (in addition to the above)
¼ cup soy milk
¼ cup sugar substitute (or sugar)
sprinkle of nutmeg for garnish

Crust: recipe from Richard Packham

1 2/3 cup white flour
2/3 cup butter
½ cup sourdough starter
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon baking soda

Method

1. To prepare the crust, sift flour, salt and baking soda together. Cut in the butter until it resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in 1/2 cup fresh starter, just until all ingredients are moistened. Add a few drops water if too dry, a spoonful more flour if to moist. Cover or wrap and let stand 30 – 60 minutes.
2. Roll out the pie crust on a floured surface, turning the dough a ¼ each roll to form a circle. Carefully press it into a greased muffin tins. Place some baking paper carefully onto the pastry and half fill it with dried split peas, heavy dried beans or coffee beans. Bake in a preheated oven (200°C) for 10 minutes. Remove the beans and baking paper and bake for a further 10 minutes until golden.
3. Peel the apple and slice into thinnish wedges. Add to a saucepan with enough water to just cover it and cook for a few minutes, until tender. Allow to cool.
4. Whisk the eggs, milk and sugar together until light and fluffy.
5. Place a few cooled apple pieces to the bottom of each muffin and pour in the egg mixture. Top with a sprinkle of nutmeg for garnish.
6. Bake at 160°C for 40 – 55 minutes. Check regularly by inserting the tip of a knife into the tart. It is ready when the knife comes out clean.
7. Allow to cool slightly and serve with *whisper* ice cream

Observation

• I over cooked mine ever so slightly resulting in a slightly dry tart. Mine was ready in about 40 minutes so take care.
• Simple recipe, delicious results.
• Diabetic Note: Ice cream? What are you talking about?! I don’t eat that – its bad for diabetics…
• Ethical Note: I made this simply to use up the left over dough from the quick, and I am glad I did. No waste = win!

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Quiche Lorraine

Today at the farmers market, I picked up a dozen huge farm fresh free ranged eggs. I think it was the size and perfection of them that inspired me to make a Quiche – something I rarely make but intend to make more often now!

[  SERVES: 5  |  TIME: 3 hours  |  COST: $4  ]
[  JOES' RATING: 4.5 / 5  |  MY RATING: 3.5 / 5 |  Brittanys Rating:  4 / 5  ]

Ingredients

Filling: inspired by Taste.com.au

6 – 7 eggs
¼ cup soy milk
¼ - ½ cup grated cheese
4 – 5 rashers short cut free range bacon
1 small onion diced
salt and pepper to taste
Drizzle of oil

Crust: recipe from Richard Packham

1 2/3 cup white flour
2/3 cup butter
½ cup sourdough starter
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon baking soda

Method

1. To prepare the crust, sift flour, salt and baking soda together. Cut in the butter until it resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in 1/2 cup fresh starter, just until all ingredients are moistened. Add a few drops water if too dry, a spoonful more flour if to moist. Cover or wrap and let stand 30 – 60 minutes.
2. Roll out the pie crust on a floured surface, turning the dough a ¼ each roll to form a circle. Carefully press it into a greased pie dish. Place some baking paper carefully onto the pastry and half fill it with dried split peas, heavy dried beans or coffee beans. Bake in a preheated oven (200°C) for 10 minutes. Remove the beans and baking paper and bake for a further 10 minutes until golden.
   
3. Reduce the oven to 180ºC. Dice the onion and bacon and saute in a hot pan until slightly caramalised.
   
4. Whisk the eggs, salt and pepper together. Drizzle in a splash of soy milk while whisking. Finally, season to taste.
5. Pour half of the egg mixture into the baked pie crust. Add the bacon mixture, ensuring it is evenly spread throughout the Quiche. Pour in the rest of the egg mixture and top with grated cheese.
   
6. Bake for 25 – 35 minutes until the egg mixture is set all the way to the middle. Allow to rest for 5 minutes before slicing and serving. Enjoy hot or cold.

Observations

• Careful not to burn it like I have here. It went from not ready to slightly over cooked within about 5 minutes. If in doubt, reduce the heat slightly.
• If you are not a sourdough nut, check the pie crust recipe at Taste.com.au for a non sourdough version
• Diabetic Note: This isn’t so bad on the carbs, but possibly not great for your cholesterol and daily fat intake. Watch your portion size and add a salad to pay for your sins!
• Ethical note – Eggs: Notice how yellow my Quiche is? That is because of the eggs. There are so many benefits to quality free ranged eggs. There are obvious benefits as far as animal welfare goes, but also the quality and taste of the eggs. Do yourself, and the chickens a favour, and demand free ranged eggs.
• Ethical Note – Cheese: I used Romano Pecorino for my grated cheese. If you haven’t noticed, I use it quite often. It has a unique, rich, robust flavour that adds a delightful element to your dish. I have a wonderful local cheese maker who I source my cheese from: Bangalow Cheese Co. Locally produced cheese may be heavier in the hip pocket, but they have a lower carbon footprint, and support the local economy. And in my opinion, you can’t compare apples and oranges; local hand-made cheese are quality when compared to the mass-produced cardboard sold in zip locked bags.

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Chicken and Leek Pie

I know at some point, quite a while ago I posted about Chicken and Leek Risotto. This is a variation on that recipe, and is one of my families favourites. Its good, wholesome, hearty food – just the thing for cold winter nights or as a treat for visitors. Over the years, I’ve done many experimentations with this basic recipe; sweet potato, chicken and leek or leek, celery and potato for a vegetarian option (see notes at the bottom).

The recipe is quite flexible, so enjoy experimenting. I will, however, give you one solid word of advice learned over the years; The pie is exceptionally hot when it comes out of the oven! Peel the pastry off and after giving it a stir, let it cool down a bit (if you can!) before you tuck in. If you honestly cant wait, I sympathise; gargling cold water to ease the blisters that are now forming on the roof of you mouth! (But, it was oddly satisfying, right?)

[  SERVES: 3  |  TIME: 60MIN  |  COST: $10  ]

Ingredients

300 gm free range chicken
3 potatoes
3 sheets of pre-made puff pastry
1 litre chicken stock
1 litre water
1 leek
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 tablespoon whole mustard seeds
1 – 2 teaspoons mustard powder
1 tablespoon corn flour
drizzle of oil

Method

1. Cut the leek finely and set aside. Cut the chicken and potato into bite size pieces, and store separately.
2. In a sauté pan, warm the oil before adding the mustard seeds and garlic. Cook until fragrant and when the mustard seeds have popped (photo 1 below).
3. Add the leek and stir through to mix well. Cook until opaque and starting to caramelise. This will take about 10 minutes (photo 2 below).
4. Remove the leek mixture from the sauté pan. Using a little oil, cook the chicken until browning.
   
5. Once the chicken is cooked, add the mustard powder, leek mixture, potatoes and stock to the sauté pan. Mix well and bring to the boil. Reduce heat and simmer until the potato is almost cooked. This should take about 15 – 20 minutes (photo 3 above). Top up with water as needed to stop the sauce from drying out.
6. In a cup, mix one tablespoon corn flour with a little water. Remove sauté pan from the heat, and while stirring continually, slowly drizzle the cornflour mixture into the sauté pan. This will thicken your sauce, so ensure that you don’t pour it in too rapidly, and don’t stop stirring!
7. Once your sauce is at the desired consistency, spoon it carefully into  your ramekins or single serve pie dishes. Do not over fill or it will burst open during the oven phase.
8. Cut your puff pastry to size and lay it gently over the top of your ramekins. Coat it with a little egg or milk wash and put into a moderate oven for 15 – 20 minutes, or until the crust is golden.

Observations

• I cant stress how important it is to go slowly when adding your cornflour mixture to your pie filling. It will go gluggy and terrible in a heart beat if you add to much too quickly. You want to have a slow steady stream (emphasis: slow) of cornflour mixture going in while stirring continually.
• It is important to not overfill your ramekins. During the oven phase, the liquid will boil and burst through the pastry, leaking through your oven. Hint: Place your ramekins in a baking tray or on a cookie sheet for easy clean up.
• You could make your own pie pastry here, but I am very lazy and have opted for the pre made store bought puffed pastry.
• I don’t ever add additional salt to this dish. I find that the stock (even the salt reduced variety) is still quite salty in its own right.  (I do season with pepper to taste though).
• After I’ve used a full litre of stock, I only top up with water. Three reasons: i) salt content and ii) the flavour overload effect and iii) no need to open another pack of stock that wont get used up this dish.
• Ethical Note: The obvious ethical note here is the chicken. I only ever use free ranged chicken because of the ethical situation regarding caged birds. Besides, its tastes better! I highly encourage people to do their own research on the meat industry, and become educated about what you eat. Free ranged chicken is not that much dearer in the hip pocket and is a whole lot lighter on the conciousness.
• Diabetic Note: The pastry in this dish, in addition to the potatoes is a Blood Glucose Level (BGL) killer. I have to forgo the crispy pastry delight for the betterment of my BGL readings. Weigh up your own exchanges here, but I find the meal has 2 – 3 exchanges without the pastry, 3 – 4 with.
• Vegetarian Option: I have made this dish several times for vegetarians by making the following changes:
  • Use vegeta for the stock, but still only make one litre up as directed for the same reasons listed above.
  • Double the potato  and leek amounts, and add celery and parsley.