Ham Blue Cheese Tart Food

HAM AND CHEESE PUFF TART

Steps:

• On a floured work surface, roll each sheet puff pastry to a 10-by-13-inch rectangle. Transfer to 2 parchment-lined baking sheets and refrigerate. In a small saucepan, melt butter over medium. Add flour; cook, stirring, until golden, 1 minute. Whisking constantly, add milk and simmer. Stir until thickened, 5 minutes. Season with salt, pepper, and pinch of nutmeg. Pour sauce into a bowl and let cool 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees, with rack in lower third. Arrange ham evenly on 1 pastry sheet, leaving a 3/4-inch border; top with cheese and sauce. Brush pastry border with egg; top with second pastry sheet. Fold bottom edges over top and press to seal. Brush top with egg and cut vents in tart. Bake until browned and puffed, 30 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

HAM AND CHEESE TARTS

Steps:

• In a small bowl, beat the cream cheese, onion dip, milk, mustard and orange zest until blended. Stir in the ham. , Split each biscuit into thirds; press into lightly greased miniature muffin cups. Spoon a scant tablespoonful of ham mixture into each cup; sprinkle with paprika. Bake at 375° for 12-17 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm.

FRENCH ONION AND BLUE CHEESE TART

Steps:

• Start by cooking the onions. They need to be cooked slowly on low heat, so it's best to begin with those.
• Melt the butter in a large nonstick frying pan-we have a load of onions to cook. When the butter has melted, pick off the thyme leaves and add, then add the garlic and onions. Mix everything together.
• Now add the pepper, salt, and sugar and mix. Cook on medium heat for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until you have onions that look like the kind you would only eat with a burger in a Sunday market at 6 a.m.!
• While that cooks, start on the pastry. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with some parchment paper or use the paper the pastry comes in and roll out the pastry onto the sheet.
• Using a knife, score a smaller rectangle ½ inch/1cm inside the pastry rectangle, making sure not to cut all the way through. Pierce the inner rectangle with a fork all over to allow the steam to escape when it bakes.
• Brush the edges with the egg and bake for 20 minutes, until golden all over.
• Take out and, using the back of a spoon, push down all the puffed-up pastry of the inner rectangle, creating a nice neat border.
• Take the blue cheese and crumble all over the inner rectangle of the pastry. Add the onions and scatter them all over till you have an even layer. Now bake for 15 minutes.
• Take out and let cool for 10 minutes before eating, sprinkled with the chives.

LITTLE HAM AND CHEESE TARTS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 200ºC. Lightly grease a 12 x 1/3-cup capacity muffin pan.
• Heat oil in a small non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Add onion. Cook for 3 minutes, or until soft. Set aside to cool.
• Cut 4 x 10cm (diameter) circles from each sheet of pastry. Use to line muffin holes. Combine onion, ham and cheese. Divide between pastry shells.
• Combine eggs and milk in a jug. Whisk with a fork. Pour over ham mixture.
• Bake for 20 minutes, or until puffed and golden. Stand in pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool.

HAM AND BLUE CHEESE QUICHE

Steps:

• 1. Place the pie crust in a 9-1/2 inch deep-dish pie plate as directed on box for one-crust filled pie. Bake in a pre-heated 450-degree oven for 10 minutes or until golden. Cool. Reduce oven temp to 375 degrees.
• 2. In a large bowl, beat the eggs, whipping cream, salt and pepper with a wire whisk until well blended. In a medium bowl, toss ham and cheese with flour; sprinkle in bottom of cooled crust. Pour egg mixture over top.
• 3. Bake for 45 or 50 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean and edge of crust is golden brown. Let stand 10 minutes. Cut into wedges.
• 4. Bacon can be substituted for the ham. Use 1/2 cup crumbled bacon if desired. NOTE: the original recipe called for 1/2 tsp. black pepper. I changed it to 1/4 tsp. because that seemed too much. Use your own judgment.

TARTINES WITH BLUE CHEESE, FIG & HAM

Steps:

• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Brush the baguette slices with olive oil and season. Arrange on baking trays, then bake for 5 mins until crisp. Cool before spreading over some cheese and topping each tartine with a piece of ham and a fig quarter. Add a little ground black pepper, if you like.
• Serve with a couple of crusty baguettes and some nice French cheeses and meats, arranged on boards and platters with tapenade, cornichons and hard-boiled quails eggs. Add a bowl of salad and Kir Royale to drink (see recipes below).

GRILLED HAM AND BLUE CHEESE SANDWICH - CROQUE MONSIEUR

Steps:

• Toast bread slice, and butter if desired.
• Top with ham slices and cheese.
• Grill until cheese has melted.

RED PEPPER, HAM & CHEESE TART

Steps:

• Heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Unroll the pastry onto a baking sheet and score a border 1cm from the edge. Prick inside the border with a fork and spread with the sundried tomato paste. Bake for 12-15 mins.
• Squash down the puffed-up pastry inside the scored rim, then top with the ham, cheese, peppers and olives. Sprinkle with oregano and bake for 10-12 mins more until the base is nice and crisp. Scatter with rocket leaves and serve.