Quiche with artichokes, feta and mushrooms

Tags

artichoke, feta, mushrooms, olives, quiche, savoury tart, tart

As most of my regular followers know by now, I love a good quiche or savoury tart. So, I am always experimenting with different flavour combinations. Sometimes, it is simply because I open the fridge and pull out all that needs to be eaten then try and come up with dishes to use them in. Pasta is always an easy option but it can be heavy and I am desperately trying to lose a few pounds that crept on during the holidays, so salads and tarts are a good option. Although I usually cannot stop at just one piece of quiche – but then, who can? This was one of those times that I had mushrooms that needed eating, feta, eggs, cream, spicy olives, an open jar of artichokes – all the ingredients needed. The result was absolutely delicious, a very Mediterranean tasting quiche that was perfect on a gloomy, cold, day to take me away to Greece, Cyprus, Sicily or somewhere similar.

Serves 4
Ingredients:

1 pâte brisée / shortcrust pastry
200g / 8oz mixed mushrooms (button, crema, chanterelles, morilles)
3 eggs
100g / 1/3 cup thick greek yoghurt
100g / 4oz feta, crumbled or cut into pieces
200ml / 3/4 cup thick cream
200g / 8oz marinated artichokes (from a jar)
2 tablespoons olives, pitted and cut into pieces
1 tablespoon Herbs de Provence
Pinch of curry powder
Olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 180C / 360F
Place the pastry in a quiche or tart pan and set aside
Drain the artichokes and cut into pieces
Clean and cut the mushrooms into small pieces
Heat about 1/2 tablespoon oil in a sauté pan and cook the mushrooms for a few minutes
Whisk the eggs with the cream and the greek yoghurt
Add the curry powder and salt and pepper
Arrange the artichokes, the olives and the mushrooms evenly on the pastry base
Pour the cream and egg mixture gently over
Sprinkle on the crumbled feta pieces
Sprinkle the herbs evenly over the top
Bake for about 40 minutes
Enjoy!

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Rustic Butternut and Feta Tartlets

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butternut, feta, fiesta fridays, rustic, tartlets, vegetarian

This is a great way to use leftover veggies to make a lovely lunch dish. Eaten with a side salad of aragula or mache, healthy and filling all at once.And best, it is meant to be a rustic looking dish, so no need for you to spend hours trying to make the circles perfect in size and shape. You can add chunks of bacon, chorizo, leftover chicken if you want to make it more filling. Children can help prepare their own individual tartlet and if there is any leftover pastry, how about a bit of fruit and jam to make a dessert one as well. So, let’s get cooking…

Serves 4

Ingredients:

500 g / 1 lb butternut, peeled and cut into bite sized pieces
1 red onion, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup feta cheese, cubed
1 roll shortcrust pastry
1 egg

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 200 C / 400 F
Place the butternut cubes and onion slices on a baking sheet
Drizzle the oil and add salt and pepper
Mix well with your hands
Roast for about 25 minutes, set aside
Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface
Cut out 4 equally sized discs using a saucer, (about 18 cm / 7 ” each)
Place the pastry disc on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper
Divide the butternut mixture, spooning a heaped pile in the centre of each, leaving an empty border of pastry around the edges
Add the feta cubes to each
Fold the edges of each disc towards the centre and press together lightly
Brush each tartlet lightly with the beaten egg
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes
Sprinkle with fresh herbs
Enjoy!

 

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Butternut, Beetroot and Feta salad

Tags

beetroot, butternut, feta, salad

This multicoloured salad is the perfect side dish to a summer barbecue or even a vegetarian main dish. It is also perfect as a warm winter salad and tastes even better the next day so make plenty and you will have a ready to go lunch as well.

Serves 4

 

 Ingredients:

• 1 small butternut squash (about 500g), deseeded and cut into bite sized cubes
• 3 small beetroots, peeled and cut into bite sized cubes or a pack of ready cooked beetroot, drained and cut into cubes
• 1 red onion, very finely sliced
• 200 g / 7 oz feta , cut into small pieces or crumbled
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 1 clove of garlic, or more if you like garlic
• 2 tablespoons fresh coriander and parsley, washed and roughly chopped
• 4 tablespoons sunflower seeds or pine nuts, dry toasted

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 180 c / 350 F

Put the beetroot (if raw) and the butternut on a baking tray and drizzle with olive oil
Sprinkle with salt and black pepper and add a little thyme to the butternut
Pop the beetroot and butternut oven for about 45 minutes
When the veggies feel soft, take it out of the oven and let it cool

Place the cool veggies and the onion on a bed of baby spinach, arugula or other greens
Add the feta and the toasted pine nuts or pumpkin seeds
Mix all the vinaigrette ingredients together until blended and pour over the salad
Mix well
Enjoy!

Note:

You can  substitute the feta with blue cheese or goats cheese. Yum!