Truffled Potato & Portobello Tart

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It has recently occurred to me that I am obsessed with tarts. Big tarts, little tarts, sweet tarts, savory tarts. Line some goodies with pastry or a crust of some sort, and I am in. Such an easy sell. Mashed potatoes? Sure I like them, but mashed potatoes baked inside a pastry dough? Give it to me right now.

This tart may contain everything I want out of comfort food. Creamy, cheesy mashed potatoes, crispy, buttery filo dough, earthy, hearty mushrooms, fresh chives, and a drizzle of truffle oil. Oh yes, that's right, I played the truffle oil card. My older, wiser sister is a firm believer that, like bacon, truffles make pretty much everything better. If that is her conviction, I think I would like to join the faith. Think there is a truffle worshiping church somewhere in Italy? There should be.

I don't know what took me so long, but I finally bit the bullet and bought a bottle of black truffle oil. I need to restrain myself so I don't put it on everything I eat for the next two months. I cannot wait to try making my own slow fried eggs with a little of the oil drizzled over the top for breakfast this weekend. Or maybe for dinner tonight, I don't know if I can wait that long.



I saw a version of this tart on Jamie Oliver's show on the cooking channel last week, and knew instantly that I had to make it. Unfortunately, it is no longer asparagus season and there is little I detest more than asparagus spears that are an inch in diameter. I am very discriminatory when it comes to asparagus, I only like the skinny ones. Maybe someday I will learn to love all asparagus spears as they are, but for now I am set in my ways. This is coming from the girl who only used to eat the 'tree tops' off the broccoli and leave the rest. I have come a long way since then.



I had to think of something that would go well with the cheesy mashed potato base, but wouldn't put me into carbohydrate or starch overload. Many of the vegetables that are in season right now would probably have that effect. I instead decided to use thinly sliced portobello mushroom caps in place of the asparagus, and add a little Gruyere, chives, and of course truffle oil to the mix. It was wonderful. The smell was heavenly and I have been thoroughly enjoying eating all the leftovers this week.

The best part is, it was really easy to assemble. Filo, or Phyllo dough can be intimidating because it is so fragile and thin, but this tart is pretty rustic, it looks better that way. You don't have to worry about tearing the sheets of dough, just slather on some more melted butter and patch it up with the next layer. You could substitute puff pastry dough for a thicker and less fussy crust, but I like how light the crust was with just five or so layers of filo.



Or you can forgo the crust all together and just bake the filling, for a gluten free version. Almost just as good. Almost.



Truffled Potato & Portobello Tart
adapted from Jamie Oliver
serves 4-6

1 1/4 lb. (a little more or a little less if just fine) of russet potatoes, peeled and cubed
3-4 medium portobello mushroom caps, thinly sliced
5-6 sheets of filo dough
1/2 stick of butter, melted
3/4 cup white cheddar cheese, grated
3/4 cup Gruyere cheese, grated
3 large eggs
1 cup heavy cream
salt & pepper to taste
2 tablespoons minced chives
truffle oil for garnish

Place cut potatoes in a pot filled with cold water and boil until fork tender, about 15 minutes. Drain.

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F. Take whatever dish you are planning on using, I actually used a 8 X 8 in cake pan that I lined with parchment paper (but you can using a baking dish, or a tart pan as well) and brush with melted butter to coat.

Take one sheet of your filo dough (keep the rest covered with a slightly damp paper towel so it doesn't dry out) and gently line your pan. Brush melted butter all over the filo, and repeat with 5-6 sheets of dough. You can leave the edges of the filo draped over the sides of the dish for now. Cover with a damp towel or paper towel and set aside.

In a small bowl beat the eggs together with the cream with a fork. In a large bowl, break up the potatoes with a masher, then add the cheeses and mash until combined. Add the cream and egg mixture and mash and mix until smooth. Season generously with salt and pepper.

Pour potato mixture into filo-lined baking dish leaving at least 1/2 inch room from the top of the dish. Spread into an even layer and top with your sliced mushrooms. Sprinkle with a little extra ground black pepper and the chives. Gather the extra filo dough that was draped over the edge and crimp it together around the edge of the potato mixture. Brush more butter all over the filo crust, and bake for 20-30 minutes until middle has set and the filo is golden brown. The time will vary depending on the size and depth of your baking dish. Mine took a bit longer since it was so deep.

Let the tart set up for at least 15 minutes before cutting. Drizzle with a bit of truffle oil and sprinkle with fresh chives before serving.

Simple Comfort

After the holidays are over, it is refreshing sometimes to have a meal that is a bit on the lighter side (especially after eating all those fake girl scout cookies). It's also great to have a meal that you can clean out your fridge with. Its a great basic formula, but definitely not your run of the mill pasta dish or stir fry that usually seem to constitute a pantry meal.

This dish has all the good stuff. Creamy, crispy polenta and sauteed mushrooms and carrots, topped with a big 'ol fried egg. I am a firm believer in the "everything is better with a fried egg on top" school of thought. This separate but equally as valid as the "everything is better with bacon" school of thought. When the oozing yolk mixes with the earthy veggies and the cheesy polenta, it is heaven. Now that I think about it, I am totally adding bacon next time I make this.

I first saw a version of this recipe on thekitchn.com and really loved the combination, but I ended up changing it quite a bit. The night that I made this for dinner I made a soft polenta, but I truly believe the leftovers were better the next day when I cut squares of the cold polenta and sauteed it in a bit of olive oil. The cheese in the polenta became brown and crispy on the outside and was soft, hot, and creamy on the inside. Either way though, it is a filling, hearty meal that is full of protein that won't ruin your new years resolutions.

Fried Polenta with Balsamic Mushrooms and Carrots

adapted from thekitchn.com

Serves 3-4

1 lb mushrooms, cut into a 1/2 inch dice

3 medium carrots, cut into a 1/2 inch dice

1 clove garlic, finely minced

2-3 tablespoons oilve oil

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme

1/4 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup instant polenta

1 1/2 cup milk

1 1/2 cup water

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

3-4 eggs (depending on how many people are eating, 1 egg per serving)

salt and pepper to taste

Bring water, milk, and 1/4 teaspoons salt to a boil in a small saucepan. When it reaches a boil, whisk in the polenta and reduce the heat to low and cover. Let simmer for 15 minutes with the lid cracked, stirring occasionally. Add the parmesean cheese and stir to combine. **You can make this a day ahead of time. Spread the polenta in a thin layer in the bottom of a baking dish and refrigerate overnight. Heat some oil in a non-stick skillet and fry the polenta until heated through and brown and crispy on the edges.**

Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and red pepper flakes and saute for 2 minutes until garlic becomes fragrant. Add mushrooms, carrots, thyme and balsamic vinegar, stir to coat evenly. Saute for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently, until mushrooms and carrots are cooked through.

When the polenta and vegetables are fully cooked, heat one tablespoon of olive oil in a small non-stick skillet over medium-high heat and cook the eggs over-easy, making sure to leave the yolk runny (this is the best part).

Place a dollop of the creamy polenta (or a fried square of polenta) in the middle of a plate, top with a spoonful of the veggie mixture, and one fried egg. Sprinkle with a little extra parmesean cheese and devour.

This is a wonderfully quick (and inexpensive) weekenight meal, and a great way to use up leftovers. Enjoy!

I wish I had some right now...

Well, Thanksgiving weekend has come and gone leaving me with great memories, a slight hangover, lots of leftovers, and the H1N1 virus. Yes, I have the plague. Okay, maybe not the plague, but it sure feels like it.

I am going to make this short and sweet since I need to get myself back to the couch. I have been wanting to make homemade macaroni and cheese for quite a while now, and the only thing stopping me was not wanting to know the exact quantities of butter and cheese it contained. After I saw Ina Garten's recipe though, I said 'screw it, I'm makin mac and cheese'.

I made a few edits as usual, eliminating the tomatoes (who needs vegetables right?) and added grilled chicken and mushrooms. It was so decadent and delicious, and I could really go for some right now. This made two pans of mac and cheese, and it actually froze quite well.

If you have been thinking about making homemade macaroni and cheese, do it, do it now. You will not regret it, at least not until you get the scale out. Half a pan of macaroni and cheese in one sitting is considered moderation right?

Macaroni and Cheese with Grilled Chicken and Mushrooms

adapted from Ina Garten's Macaroni and Cheese

2 Chicken breast halves

1 lb mushrooms, diced

Olive oil

1 lb cavatappi pasta

1 quart milk

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, divided

1/2 cup all purpose flour

12 ounces grated gruyere cheese

8 ounces grated cheddar cheese

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 1/2 cups panko bread crumbs

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper and grill over medium heat until cooked through. Let the chicken cool, dice small, and set aside.

Heat a tablespoon of olive oil over medium high heat and add mushrooms. Saute until cooked through, and slightly crisped, about 12-15 minutes. Set aside to let cool.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil, add the pasta and cook according to directions on package, 6-8 minutes. Drain completely.

Meanwhile, heat the milk in a small saucepan being careful not to boil it. Melt 6 tablespoons of the butter in a large pot over low heat. Add the flour and whisk continuously for about two minutes.

Add the milk slowly, whisking until smooth and thickened. Remove from heat and add the cheese, 1 tablespoon salt, the pepper, and the nutmeg.

Look at all that cheese....mmmm.

Add drained pasta, chicken, and mushrooms and stir to coat.

Pour mixture into one large (3 quart) baking dish or two smaller ones (1-2 quarts). Melt the remaining two tablespoons of butter and combine with the breadcrumbs and parmesean cheese. Sprinkle this mixture evenly over the macaroni and bake for 30-35 minutes, until the top is brown and bubbly.

There is nothing better than homemade mac and cheese. This has to be in my top five favorite foods EVER, please give it a try. Here's hoping none of you get the flu this winter, but if you do, just make some mac and cheese and settle in on the couch.

A Tale of Two Pizzas

My first foray into grilled pizzas had it's ups and downs. After watching Micheal Chiarello easily slide his perfect pizza doughs on and off the grill grates, I thought 'I can do that, it doesn't look that hard'. Maybe someday I will learn that Mr. Chiarello tends to get me into trouble in the kitchen. (see the great gnocchi battle of 2008) Okay it wasn't all bad, and I think the next go around will be perfection, I just need to work out a few kinks.

The first dough to go onto the grill bubbled like crazy, and then once it was turned over the bubbles were so big, well, lets say they 'charred' (that's the grill-masters' way of saying it burned, without actually admitting fault). Everything seems to turn out better on the second try. They say you should always throw away your first crepe, your first pancake, but I didn't think I could spare an entire pizza dough the same way. So, I kept the 'charred' dough and went ahead. The second crust was beautiful, which is why I only took pictures of that one. Editing is GREAT.

Toppings are endless, and the method I used for making these allowed me to prepare all the topping ahead of time, and then just rewarm on the grill. One of the topping combinations was amazing, one of them not so much, but here is what I learned about making pizzas on the grill:

1. Do not use too high of heat, you will get crazy bubbles and burned edges. (if you are using charcoal I would recommend spreading one single layer of coals all over the bottom grate, and set your dampers so that you are over a medium heat)

2. Do not oil your dough too much, the heat will smoke the oil, turning your dough gray. This is NOT pretty. It won't ruin your pizza, but it will not enhance the flavor either.

3. Do not use a cheese that only tastes good when it is brown and bubbly. If you want brown and bubbly cheese, you may want to invest in a pizza stone so you can get your grill heat VERY high and not burn your dough (or finish it under your broiler). Hard cheeses and fresh mozzarella are good choices. Fontina....not so much (it kind of looked like snot, but more on that later).

4. Do grill toppings separately, this just adds to the deliciousness of the pizza.

5. Do not overload your pizzas with toppings, they will get very hard to maneuver, as the crust can be very fragile.

6. Use toppings that just need to be warmed briefly, in other words cook all your raw toppings ahead of time.

7. Use a sturdy dough recipe, one that calls for high gluten bread flour, or a similar additive.

8. Have fun with your flavor combinations, and don't be afraid to mess it up...maybe make some extra dough just in case though.

Pizza Dough

From Smitten Kitchen

My notes in green

Smitten kitchen is one of my favorite food blogs, and I often turn to it to get great recipes, especially for the basics (bread dough, pasta, pizza etc.). If you haven't checked her out yet, do it, she has awesome recipes and great photography. This dough worked really well, as it wasn't too delicate to throw around on the grill.

1 1/2 cups flour - I used my typical All-Purpose with added Vital Wheat Gluten combination

1 teaspoon salt

3/4 teaspoon active dry yeast

1/2 cup lukewarm water

1 tablespoon olive oil

Mix all dry ingredients, including the yeast, in a large mixing bowl. You can also start this in the food processor with the dough blade if you wish. Add the water and olive oil and mix until it starts to form a ball. Turn the shaggy mess out onto a floured surface, and knead until everything combines into a nice clean ball, just a minute or two.

Lightly oil the mixing bowl -a cooking spray such as Pam works well for this- and place the dough in, turning it around a few times so all sides of the dough are oiled as well. Cover with plastic wrap, and let it rise for and hour or two, or until it has doubled in size.

Dump it out onto a well floured surface and gently press the air out of the dough. Fold the piece into a basic ball shape and let it sit under plastic wrap for another 20 minutes.

At this point, the dough is ready to be rolled out and grilled up. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough out until it is about 1/8 - 1/4 inch thick.

Goat Cheese, Zucchini, and Prosciutto Pizza

1-2 medium zucchini or summer squash, sliced very thinly on a mandolin

1 package of prosciutto, cut into thin strips

1 4 oz. package of goat cheese

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon fresh minced thyme

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Pepita Pesto, Mushroom, and Fontina Pizza

About 3/4 cup peptia pesto (you can use any pesto, homemade or jarred)

1 package button mushrooms, sliced thinly

3/4 cup shredded fontina cheese

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

While the dough was on its final 20-minute rise, I fired up the my trusty Weber. I tossed the zucchini and squash with some olive oil and salt and pepper, and grilled over high heat until just cooked through. This only takes a few minutes if the slices are very thin.

I also sauteed the prosciutto and the mushrooms separately until crisped and cooked through.

Mix the lemon juice, thyme, and goat cheese in a small bowl and set aside.

Lightly oil the pizza dough on one side, and moving gently and quickly, place the dough oiled-side down on the hot grates, and immediately oil the top side. It will probably start to bubble up and as soon as it starts to set, you can move it around a bit so that it doesn't burn in any spot.

Flip the dough over once the first side is nice and brown. This should only take 3-4 minutes on each side until the dough is fully cooked. (I obviously made 2 doughs, so I repeated this process)

I brought the doughs inside to where all my ingredients were ready and waiting to be assembled.

On the first pizza, I spread the goat cheese mixture thinly all over the crust, laid on the grilled zucchini strips and the prosciutto, and sprinkled the top with Parmesan cheese.

Onto the second pizza went the pesto, then the mushrooms, the fontina, and lastly the Parmesan.

Each of these pizzas went back onto the covered grill over low heat until all the ingredients were heated up and the cheese was melted, about 10 minutes.

The goat cheese pizza was divine. It was salty, fresh, and creamy. I would make it again as-is in a heartbeat. The pesto/mushroom pizza I would make again, but with many changes. I would add another component, something a bit sweet to offset the bitter pesto. I would also finish it under the broiler to get the cheese all brown and bubbly, instead of greasy and gooey like it turned out.

There were many lessons learned about pizzas making, and now that it is turning into autumn, I am looking forward to testing out my new skills with the coming fall produce.

Happy first day of Fall, may your week be filled with changing leaves, pumpkins, and cinnamon-flavored everything.