Saturday 17 November 2007

A healthy onion tart, three ways

A bag of onions makes me happier than a bag of candy.

Like...really. As I'd managed to somehow eat all our onions, I was happy as hell to eye a bunch of them when I went to the kitchen, looking for food. I knew exactly what I'd make - and it's not just that the recipe is called 'healthy onion tart' (it wouldn't be healthy if I ate half of it anyway).

I've made it several times and been really happy with it, although I've always been annoyed with the crazy salt amount the recipe calls for. How is it that cookbook authors sometimes really mess up? How is it that they sometimes manage to leave some parts of the recipes out? Or some ingredients? Don't they like...read their work over again and again?
Whatever. But that's lame. Let's just stop whining and stuff our mouths full.


Healthy onion tart on an oat flake and carrot crust
(adapted from '100 pirukat', serves 8)

Crust:
1 dl oat flakes
1 dl flour
1 dl grated carrots
100 g baking margarine (or butter) at room temperature
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt

Filling:
3-4- onions
1 tbsp butter
2 dl milk
2 eggs
3/4 tsp salt
  1. Mix grated carrot, oat flakes and margarine.
  2. Mix flour with salt and baking powder, add to the mixture.
  3. Take a 24cm round baking pan and press the dough onto the bottom and sides of the pan (it's easier to do so when you've chilled the dough in the fridge for some time). Place the pan into the fridge for a half an hour.
  4. Meanwhile slice the onions and cook them with the butter until they're golden.
  5. Mix eggs with milk, add salt.
  6. Bake the crust in the middle of a preheated 200C oven for 15 minutes.
  7. Spread the onion slices onto the baked crust and pour the milk-egg mixture over them.
  8. Bake at 180C for 20 more minutes.



Feel free to add herbs to the onions (thyme, maybe? rosemary? sage? or oregano?) or cheese on top of the tart when it has been baking for some time already (I allow you to keep the name 'healthy' even when you add cheese;))
I'd definitely go for some green salad on the side for serving, be the tart warm or cold. I love to warm up the cold tart in the microwave, too. The onions are so mild, the crust is sweetly speckled from grated carrot. It's not very crisp - the crust - only the bottom and the sides are, the filling kind of melts into its upper layer.

Long long time ago - in the summer - I used the very same recipe for onion tartelettes.



I think I pre-baked the crust for some 5 minutes and added 1-2 tbsp of both onions and milk-egg mixture to each tartelette, also adding cheese in the middle of baking. They were marvellous snacks to eat with fingers! As this method used up all the crust dough, there was left-over filling and I baked it in bread slices that I placed in a muffin pan. For bread and onion tartelettes I added cheese right away.



Talking about 'marvellous'? These were perfect when eaten warm and definitely on a green salad! I don't think there's a need for a more accurate recipe. Just...look!

This post will also be taking part of the 11th WTSIM event Topless tarts, hosted by Jeanne from Cook sister. Fortunately being underage can't stop one from participating...:D

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

Sometimes if you read your own text over and over again, you don't see the most obvious error. ;-)

The tart, tartlettes and "muffins" look delicious!

Evelin said...

Then shouldn't you let someone else read through it? I don't think cookbook authors can be excused. Blog authors - yes, cookbook authors - no.

Thank you! I didn't know what to call these 'muffins'. Can I be excused?:)

Jeanne said...

Yum! Isn't it astonishing when something even marginally healthy looks so tasty? I love onion tarts anyway - have you tried making pissaladiere?

Thanks for "daring to go bare" and submitting your topless tart to WTSIM :)

T’s Treats said...

Those look wonderful...and the muffin tart on that salad mmm lunch please!!

Evelin said...

Thank you!

Pissaladiere? Are you kidding?:) I've never eaten anchovies in my life. They seem to cost a fortune here.

bee said...

those are some truly beautiful tarts. i love the crust recipe.

desie said...

sounds scrumptious!

Evelin said...

Bee, the crust really is great!

Maybayhay, thank you!

rhid said...

These look really tasty - I love onion tart!

Alfie said...

I love the sound of the combination of carrot pastry and cheese - I'm going to have to try this out!

Anonymous said...

Hello! I've been looking for a healthy crust recipe and I'm going to make this tonight. I love the idea of putting the bread slices in the muffin tray too by the way - that is inspired!

Rarrr said...

Try this topped with Piped Salmon Mousse!
EXCELLENT! It's no longer diet after that though hehehe