What to do when you don’t like to cook, but still want to eat healthy and have it look tasty at the same time? Bake!
I have been searching for new recipes online and I could never find something that I really liked, probably because I am a pretty picky eater and vegetarian. Oh, and not to mention a lazy chef..
Which is why my solution to my aversion to cooking has been baking meals that are freezable and portion controlled. It is just perfect! I only have to cook/bake when my freezer feels empty and since it involves baking, most of the time goes into waiting for the oven anyway: perfect!
I have been experimenting with veggie burgers, burritos and these pastry tarts. They are all great dishes, that go really well combined with a soup or salad.
For these tarts I picked my favourite winter food for the basis: sweet potato. It goes with everything, is filling and is such an easy vegetable to work with. I also added baked cherry tomatoes. I am not a big tomato fan, but when they are baked it changes everything! (and I guess I wouldn’t mind them on top of a pizza;)
I came up with this recipe after trying out a few different versions. But please feel free to change any ingredient that you don’t like, or add things that you do like. It is suitable for vegetarians, and it is definitely possible to use light versions of the cream and goat’s cheese.
For the vegans among us: you can substitute the egg for almond milk, the cream cheese for soy yoghurt and the goat’s cheese for vegan goat’s cheese (there is a great recipe here). Enjoy!
RECIPE:
– Follow the photo recipe here, or scroll down to the bottom of this post to see the complete recipe –
INGREDIENTS – for 4 big tarts
1 medium sized sweet potato (approx. 500g)
125g Cherry tomatoes
75g Cream cheese or Sour Cream
4 defrosted Puff Pastry Sheets
75g Goat’s Cheese
1 Onion
1 egg, for glazing
1 Clove Garlic
2tbsp Olive Oil
2tsp Salt
This recipe if suitable for vegetarians.
STEP 1
Preheat the oven to 225°C.
– Peel and cut the sweet potato in 3mm thick slices.
– Chop the onion and place it in an oven safe dish with the sweet potato slices.
– Add a tablespoon of olive oil and mix the onion and potato.
– Place the dish in the oven for 20-30 minutes. Stirring the ingredients after 10 minutes.
STEP 2
– Take the onion and sweet potato slices out of the oven after 20-30minutes. reduce the oven to 180°C.
– Chop the clove of garlic and toss it into an oven safe dish with the cherry tomatoes.
– Add a tablespoon of olive oil to the mixture.
STEP 3
– Place the defrosted puff pastry sheets onto a lined baking tray.
– Cover the pastries with the cream cheese (or sour cream), leaving approx. 1 cm free all around.
STEP 4
– Place the slices of sweet potato on top of the cream cheese.
– spread the onion over the sweet potato slices and top with the goat’s cheese.
– Beat the egg and brush it around the border of the pastry.
STEP 5
– Place the tray into the oven for 20-35 minutes.
– At the same time place the garlic and tomato mixture in the oven for the same duration. (they are baked separately to prevent the pastry from going ‘soggy’ in case the tomatoes burst in the oven)
– After 20-35 minutes take the tray and dish out of the oven and garnish the pastries with the garlic and tomatoes.
Serve warm or at room temperature.
They can be stored in the freezer and saved for later. (simply defrost them afterwards and heat them up in the oven on a low temperature)
FULL RECIPE
Preheat the oven to 225°C.
– Peel and cut the sweet potato in 3mm thick slices.
– Chop the onion and place it in an oven safe dish with the sweet potato slices. Add a tablespoon of olive oil and mix the onion and potato.
– Place the dish in the oven for 20-30 minutes. Stirring the ingredients after 10 minutes.
– Take the onion and sweet potato slices out of the oven after 20-30minutes. reduce the oven to 180°C.
– Chop the clove of garlic and toss it into an oven safe dish with the cherry tomatoes. Add a tablespoon of olive oil to the mixture.
– Place the defrosted puff pastry sheets onto a lined baking tray.
– Cover the pastries with the cream cheese (or sour cream), leaving approx. 1 cm free all around. Place the slices of sweet potato on top of the cream cheese.
– spread the onion over the sweet potato slices and top with the goat’s cheese.
– Beat the egg and brush it around the border of the pastry.
– Place the tray into the oven for 20-35 minutes.
– At the same time place the garlic and tomato mixture in the oven for the same duration.
– After 20-35 minutes take the tray and dish out of the oven and garnish the pastries with the garlic and tomatoes.
Serve warm or at room temperature.
They can be stored in the freezer and saved for later. (simply defrost them afterwards and heat them up in the oven on a low temperature)
