Pear and Apple Tart

Now's the time to be making the most of this year's bumper crop of apples and pears and here's a special autumn treat. This traditional French fruit tart looks and tastes so good.  It's really easy to make and, because it's made with eating apples and ripe pears, it's sweet enough without adding sugar!

As well as being sugar free, it's also free from eggs and dairy too.  The shortcrust pastry is made with flour and equal quantities of vegetable fat and dairy free margarine with a hint of cinnamon for added flavour.  The fruit is cooked to make a rich, smooth filling without losing the lovely fresh flavour of an autumn harvest!

A French pâtisserie recipe that's healthy and simple?  Must be too good to be true, surely?  Why not make it for yourself and see!

Ingredients              

225g plain white flour
55g  vegetable fat (Trex)
55g  dairy free sunflower margarine (Pure)
½ tsp cinnamon
pinch salt

About 700g sweet eating apples
About 700g ripe pears
1 large orange
50g dairyfree margarine




Start by preparing the fruit.  Peel the apples and pears and leave whole.  Then using a coarse grater, grate each piece of fruit into a large bowl, discarding the core and seeds.

Using a fine grater,  remove the zest of the orange and add to the bowl with 3 tbsp of the freshly squeezed orange juice.

In a large non-stick frying pan,  gently heat 50g dairy free margarine.

When it's melted, add all the grated fruit and stir well.

  

Cook over a high heat, stirring constantly!

After about 10 minutes or so, the moisture from the fruit will have evaporated and the mixture will have thickened, so much so that when you run the spoon across the pan, there is no juice remaining!

 

Set aside the fruit mixture whilst you make the pastry (or you can always make it the day before and keep in the fridge).

For quickness, I often make pastry in a food processor.  Measure the flour, vegetable fat and margarine and place in the processor with the salt and cinnamon. Process briefly until the mixture resembles bread crumbs.  

Add 3 tbsp water slowly through the funnel at the top whilst the machine is running.  As soon as you see the pastry coming together to form a ball, switch off.  It's best not to overwork the pastry.  

(If you prefer to make the pastry by hand,  sift the flour and cinnamon into a large mixing bowl and add a pinch of salt.  Place the vegetable fat and margarine in the bowl and chop into small pieces with a knife. Then using your fingers, rub the fat into the flour until it becomes crumbly and resembles breadcrumbs.  Add about 3 tbsp water and, using the knife again, mix together to form a soft dough.) 

Dust your work surface with a little flour, then roll out the pastry thinly into a rough circle shape approximately 2 - 3cm larger than the greased shallow 24 cm loose-bottomed flan tin.  

Carefully transfer the pastry to the tin.  I find the best way to do this is to roll the pastry loosely round a rolling pin and then lift it into the prepared tin.

Ease the pastry into position and make sure no air is trapped underneath.  Gently strengthen the sides to avoid it shrinking down when baked and trim away the excess pastry with a knife. 

Either cover and leave in the fridge until needed or bake straightaway.

Preheat the oven to 200C/180C fan/Gas Mark 6 and put in a baking sheet to heat through.

Prick the base of the flan all over with a fork, place a piece of foil or greaseproof paper on top and fill with baking beans (any dried beans) to stop the pastry base from puffing up whilst baking.

Place on a heated baking sheet in the oven at 200C (G.M. 6)  and bake for 15 minutes, then remove the beans and foil and place the flan base back uncovered in the oven for 5 more minutes or till completely cooked through but not brown.

Fill the pre-baked pastry base with the cooked fruit mixture and level the top neatly with a knife. 

 

If you like, you can make lattice strips to decorate the top.  Roll out the pastry trimmings and cut into even strips with a pastry cutter or knife.  

 

Lay 5 parallel strips vertically over the filling, then fold two alternate strips away from you.  

Place the first strip horizontally across the middle, then replace the two verticals.

 

Fold the other three vertical strips towards you and place a second one horizontally. Replace the vertical pieces.

 

Fold the three vertical strips away from you and place a third strip horizontally.  Then replace the vertical ones.  Continue with the two remaining strips to form the lattice.

Here it is completed!  Don't worry about the rough ends. You can tidy them up later.

Brush the pastry strips with a little cold water and return the tart to the oven.  Bake for a further 20 to 25 minutes until golden. Serve on it's own, with natural soya yogurt or Swedish Glace non-dairy icecream.

Let me know what you think!

Oven Roasted Potatoes with Herbs

I've always loved sauté potatoes i.e. small cubes of potato that are par-boiled, then fried in a little oil until golden.  These days, since roasting vegetables in the oven has become popular, it's even easier to produce a dish of light, crispy potatoes.

These potatoes taste even better than the traditional sauté because they are roasted with fresh herbs and garlic.  If you haven't got fresh herbs handy,  sprinkle with dried ones such as ground coriander, paprika and dried thyme.

Ingredients           Serves 4

About 900g salad potatoes, such as Charlotte or Nicola
2 cloves garlic
1 tbsp fresh rosemary or thyme
3 tbsp olive oil



Method

Preheat the oven to 220C/200C fan/Gas Mark 7.

Scrub the potatoes clean, then cut into pieces between 1 - 2cm square.   Dry them with some kitchen paper as you transfer to a bowl.

Peel and chop the garlic and the herbs.

Put the olive oil into a large roasting tin and place in the oven to heat through for a couple of minutes.  Then remove the tin from the oven and tip the potatoes into the hot oil.   Add the chopped garlic and herbs and season with salt and pepper.  

Now give the potatoes a good stir. I use a couple of wooden spatulas or a fish slice to make sure the potatoes are completely coated in oil and herbs.

Return the tin to the oven and roast for about 40 minutes,  turning the potatoes a couple of times midway until they are crisp and golden. 

Serve straight from the oven with any fish, vegetable or salad dish!  

Baked Fennel with Tomatoes and Olives

This is a fabulous dish to serve for dinner when you are having friends round.  It can be prepared well in advance, then baked when you're ready and it never seems to mind hanging around in the oven a little longer than necessary!

Not only that, the flavour of the fennel is so delicious and a little out of the ordinary.  It goes well as a side dish with fish, or as a main course with pasta or simply as an accompaniment to other vegetables.

For this recipe, I usually blanch the fennel in boiling water to speed up the baking time.  If you don't have fresh ripe tomatoes, use a well drained tin of plum tomatoes instead.

Ingredients            Serves 4

2 medium bulbs fennel
350g tomatoes
50g pitted black olives
2 cloves garlic 
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 
About half a tbsp fresh thyme

Method

Wash the fennel and trim away the feathery fronds to use as a garnish.  

Slice a thin layer from the base and remove any outer layers that are discoloured.    Quarter the fennel bulbs, then cut each quarter in half. 

Cook in boiling salted water until just tender  - this usually takes about 10 minutes. Remove the fennel from the pan with a slotted spoon, reserving the cooking water.

Meanwhile preheat the oven to 220C/200C fan/Gas Mark 7.

Place the drained fennel in a single layer in a shallow gratin dish. 

Then place the tomatoes in the hot fennel water to remove the skins. After a minute, transfer the tomatoes to a chopping board using a slotted spoon.  The skins should peel away easily.

Leave the tomatoes whole if you are using the cherry variety or cut into quarters if they are larger.  Scatter the tomatoes and the black olives over the top of the fennel.  

Peel and finely chop the garlic and sprinkle over the vegetables, together with the thyme.  Add a good seasoning of salt and pepper.

Finally, drizzle with olive oil and bake for 30 to 40 minutes. Halfway through the cooking time,  baste the fennel with the juices in the dish.

Serve as a side dish with fish,  as a main course with pasta or simply as an accompaniment to other vegetables.

Courgette and Pepper Provençal

My vegetable plot has been taking up much of my spare time this summer which is why it's been a while since I posted a recipe! A bumper crop of vegetables have passed through my kitchen over the past few months, most of which have been eaten in their simplest form - freshly picked, steamed, baked or lightly fried and always savoured!

However, now I'm back with fresh enthusiasm, ready to share some more of my favourite recipes which I hope you'll enjoy as much as we do.   

This is a lovely versatile dish that I often make in late summer when there are plenty of courgettes and tomatoes to use up.  It goes well with pasta, couscous or potatoes, with grilled fish or vegetable burgers,  in a baked shortcrust pastry case or served with puff pastry triangles.  It's also just as good eaten cold. 

Ingredients        Serves 4

1 large onion
1 clove garlic
2 tbsp olive oil
1 red pepper
1 green pepper
2 courgettes
About 450g fresh tomatoes
1 tsp coriander seeds
2 tbsp fresh basil leaves




First skin your tomatoes. Place them in a bowl and pour over enough boiling water to cover.

After about a minute, remove from the water with a slotted spoon and place on your chopping board.  The skins should slip off easily.  Roughly chop.

Peel and chop the onion.  Heat the olive oil in a wide saute pan and cook the onion gently without browning, stirring frequently for about five minutes until tender.  

Peel and crush the garlic and stir in.  

Cut the peppers in half and remove the stalks and seeds.  Cut into slices about 1cm wide and add to the pan. 

Cover with a lid and cook for about five minutes.  By covering with a lid at this point, I find it allows the peppers to start to soften in the hot steam.

Cut the courgettes in half lengthways, then into slices about 1cm thick and add to the pan together with the chopped tomatoes.  Stir well and season with salt and pepper.  

Bring to the boil, then turn the heat to low and cook gently without covering, stirring occasionally, for about 30 minutes,  by which time most of the juice from the tomatoes will have reduced and the vegetables are cooked. 

Crush the coriander seeds in a pestle and mortar.

Add to the pan with the chopped basil and simmer for a further ten minutes until you have a delicious mixture of cooked vegetables coated in a rich tomato sauce.

To serve, sprinkle a few fresh basil leaves sprinkled on top.

Tabbouleh Salad

Mention tabbouleh and I automatically think of summer picnics on the beach!   It's the ideal salad to take on a day out and somehow tastes even more delicious when you're in a beautiful location!

As long as you have a bag of bulghur wheat stored away in your kitchen cupboard and have some fresh tomatoes, cucumber and herbs handy, you can put this salad together in no time but, if you can, make it a day ahead to allow the flavours to fully develop.  

Unlike the classic tabbouleh, my version contains black olives which I love. They definitely add extra taste, texture and colour to this simple salad.  If you like spring onions, they are a nice addition too.

 

Ingredients

125g bulghur wheat
About 250g ripe tomatoes
Half a cucumber
A generous handful of black olives
A bunch of fresh parsley
(approx 3 tbsp finely chopped)
A small bunch of fresh mint
(approx 2 tbsp finely chopped)
6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
Salt and Pepper

First put the bulghur wheat in a bowl, cover with plenty of cold water and leave for about 45 minutes. 

(or, for fast soaking, add boiling water and leave for just 20 minutes)

Drain the bulghur wheat through a sieve and press with the back of a large spoon to remove excess water.

Meanwhile make your dressing by whisking together the olive oil and lemon juice in a large bowl. Then add the finely chopped parsley and mint and a good seasoning of salt and pepper. 

Chop the tomatoes and dice the cucumber and add to the herb dressing.  Roughly chop the olives and mix in.

When your bulghur wheat has drained thoroughly,  add to the other ingredients and stir well. 

Cover the salad and place in the fridge overnight. 

TIP
If you don't want to make the whole salad the night before,  just soak the bulghur wheat in water and make the herb dressing. Pour the dressing over the drained bulghur and leave in the fridge overnight.
The next day, all you have to do is add your chopped salad ingredients.

Mushroom Goulash

Traditionally, a goulash is a meat stew made with beef, tomatoes and onions and spiced with paprika.  This meatless and dairyfree version is full of mushrooms, tomatoes, onions and green pepper in a creamy sauce seasoned with paprika and goes perfectly with tagliatelli, noodles or rice. 

Ingredients                 Serves Four

2 medium or 3 small onions
1 green pepper
350g mushrooms
3 tomatoes, chopped 
(or half a 400g tin tomatoes)
2 tbsp sunflower oil
1 tbsp flour
2 level tsp paprika
Half a vegetable stock cube
Approx 100ml unsweetened soya milk
Salt and pepper

Peel and chop the onions. Heat the sunflower oil in a large casserole, add the onions and saute for about 5 minutes over a medium heat until softened but not brown.

Cut the peppers into quarters, core and deseed, then cut into slices.

Add the peppers to the pan and cook for a few more minutes.

Wipe the mushrooms with a piece of dampened kitchen paper to remove any dirt. Then cut into thickish slices and add.

 

Stir well and cook over a medium heat for about 3 minutes until the mushrooms have just started to soften.

Now add the flour and paprika and cook for a minute stirring continuously.

Dissolve the stock cube in 250ml boiling water and add to the pan with the chopped tomatoes.   Bring to the boil then reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes.

Remove the pan from the heat and stir in enough soya milk to produce a creamy sauce.  Season with salt and pepper.

Serve with tagliatelle, rice or noodles.

Optional extras:  Sprinkle with chopped parsley or top with a spoonful of Tofutti Sour Supreme or Alpro plain yogurt.