Spinach And Goats Cheese Tart Recipes

SPINACH, POTATO AND GOAT'S CHEESE TART

Steps:

• Make the Shortcrust Pastry, recipe follows, leaving to chill for 30 minutes before using. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line the tart tin with the dough and bake 'blind'. Cook's Note: Blind Baking. To pre-bake a pastry shell before adding filling, first chill the pastry, and then line your pan. Line the pastry with foil, parchment or greaseproof paper, leaving plenty to come up the sides. Fill with baking beans (alternatively, for a really smooth finish use plastic wrap to line the pastry: place 2 sheets over the pastry, add the beans and bring the edges into the center.) Whichever method you choose, bake 'blind' in a 350 degree F oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the pastry feels dry. Remove the paper and beans, and brush with a little leftover beaten egg, and return to the oven for 2 minutes. If there are any little holes or cracks in the pastry, just patch it up with any leftover raw pastry before you return it to the oven. Remove from the oven, and set aside in the pan while you make the filling. The pastry can be baked a day in advance and kept covered until you need it. Filling: Wash and dry the spinach, removing any tough stalks and stems, if using large spinach leaves. In a medium-size saucepan, cook the spinach in just the water that's clinging to it, over a low heat until it wilts. Drain the spinach in a colander or sieve, and let cool a little, then squeeze most of the moisture out with your hands, and roughly chop. Meanwhile, steam or boil the potatoes, until just cooked, and cool the potatoes on a tray or board. When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, cut them into 1/4-inch thick slices. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk the eggs, and add the cream, salt, and pepper, lemon zest, nutmeg, cayenne pepper, and grated Parmesan. Whisk these ingredients together, and then add the spinach, and mix through. Season well as the potatoes are very mild and need a good contrast. Spread the potato slices over the base of the prepared tart, and dot with the goat's cheese, reserving a few slices of each to place on the top, if you wish. Gently spoon the spinach cream mixture over the cheese, as high as you can go. If you are concerned about spillage, carry the tart minus the last few spoons of filling over to the oven. Place the pan in the oven, and then add the remaining filling, and any remaining potato, and cheese slices. Bake until the tart is golden brown and just set in the center, about 35 to 40 minutes. Remove the tart from the oven, and let cool for about 10 minutes before serving.
• Shortcrust Pastry
• Place the flour, salt, and butter in a food processor and whiz or pulse briefly. Add half the beaten egg and continue to whiz. You might add a little more egg, but not too much as the mixture should be just moist enough to come together. If making by hand, rub the butter into the flour until it resembles coarse bread crumbs. Then, using your hands, add just enough egg to bring the dough together. With your hands, flatten out the ball of dough, until it is about 3/4-inch thick, and then wrap in plastic wrap or place in a plastic bag and leave in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes or, if you are pushed for time, in the freezer for 10 to 15 minutes. Makes 1 crust (about 14 ounces).

SPINACH AND GOAT'S CHEESE TART

Steps:

• Preheat your oven to 200*. In a pan, put some boiling water and cook the frozen spinach.
• On a chopping board, slice the goat's cheese 1.5cm thick.
• Get your shortcrust pastry out and spread the cooked spinach on top. Add the sliced cheese and top off with some fresh spinach leaves.
• To spice it up a little bit, sprinkle any type of seasoning of your choice, personally, I like using cumin and oregano.
• Put it in the oven for 15-20 minutes. "Dinner time!"

SPINACH AND GOAT CHEESE TARTLETS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Melt 1 tablespoon butter. Place 1 phyllo sheet on a clean surface (cover the other sheets with a damp towel), brush with melted butter and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon parmesan. Cover with another phyllo sheet, brush with more butter and sprinkle with another teaspoon parmesan. Top with the remaining phyllo sheet and brush with butter. Cut the phyllo stack into 24 squares, about 3 inches each. Brush a 24-cup mini muffin tin with oil, then firmly press a phyllo square, buttered-side down, into each cup. Bake until golden, 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, heat the remaining 3 tablespoons butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the shallot and garlic and cook until translucent. Stir in the flour, then add the milk and stir until the mixture is smooth, 1 minute. Add the nutmeg, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper to taste. Stir in the goat cheese, lemon zest and vinegar until the cheese melts. Remove from the heat and mix in the egg yolks, then the spinach.
• Beat the egg whites to stiff peaks and fold into the spinach filling. Spoon about 1 tablespoon filling into each phyllo cup and top with the remaining parmesan. Bake until the filling is set, 15 minutes. Cool slightly in the pan; remove and top with the chives.

SPINACH & GOAT'S CHEESE PUFF

Steps:

• Heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Unroll the pastry and put in a large Swiss roll tin. Trim any excess pastry at either end if necessary. Prick all over with a fork, then bake for 10 mins.
• Use a hand blender to blitz the spinach with the eggs, milk, half the goat's cheese and nutmeg, until the spinach is chopped but not puréed. Take the pastry from the oven and press down the centre, as it will have puffed up. Spoon on the filling, scatter with the rest of the cheese, then bake for 15 mins until the filling is set.

GOAT CHEESE AND SPINACH QUICHE

Steps:

• MAKE THE PASTRY: In a large bowl, whisk the flour with the salt. Using a pastry blender, cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Lightly beat the egg with the water and sprinkle over the flour mixture. Stir with a fork to lightly blend, then squeeze gently until a dough forms. Pat into a disk, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 350°. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the pastry to a 14-inch round about 1/8 inch thick. Fit the round into a 12-inch tart pan with a removable bottom and trim the overhang. Refrigerate the shell for at least 20 minutes.
• Line the tart shell with foil and fill with pie weights or rice. Bake until the pastry is firm, about 30 minutes. Remove the foil and weights and bake for about 10 minutes longer, or until golden brown. Transfer the shell to a rack to cool.
• MAKE THE FILLING: Heat a large skillet. Add a large handful of the spinach and cook over moderately high heat, stirring, until wilted. Transfer to a colander set over a bowl. Repeat until all of the spinach has been cooked; let cool. Squeeze the spinach dry and coarsely chop it. Toss the spinach with the garlic and spread it in the cooled pastry shell.
• In a medium bowl, whisk the milk with the cream, eggs, egg yolks, salt and pepper. Arrange the goat cheese rounds on the spinach. Pour the custard into the shell and bake for about 40 minutes, or until just set. Transfer the quiche to a rack to cool slightly. Cut into wedges and serve.