Mini Leek Tarts Food

WELSH GOAT'S CHEESE & LEEK TART

Steps:

• Heat oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Heat the oil in a frying pan, then soften the leeks for 5 mins. Add the bacon, cook for a further 5 mins, season, then tip onto a plate to cool.
• Unroll the pastry and cut out two 12 x 18cm rectangles - save or freeze the rest for another time. Lift onto a baking sheet. Using the tip of a sharp knife, mark a border inside each one, about 1.5cm from the edge.
• Mix the crème fraîche and mustard together, then spread over the inside of the pastry frames. Spoon the leek and bacon mix over the mustard mix, then place the goat's cheese on top. Bake for 15-20 mins until the pastry is crisp and golden. Serve with salad.

MINI LEEK QUICHES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Rinse the leeks in a bowl of water and strain. Set aside.
• In a skillet over medium heat, add the butter. When it is melted, add the leeks and season with salt and pepper. Cook until they are soft and tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove from the heat, stir in the thyme, and let cool to room temperature.
• Roll out each pie dough round onto a clean dry surface. Using a 2 1/4-inch biscuit cutter cut 12 rounds from each dough. Gently press the rounds into each of the mini muffin tins to form mini crusts.
• In a large measuring cup, whisk the cream and eggs with the pumpkin pie spice and a generous pinch of salt and pepper.
• Fill each muffin cup with 1 teaspoon of the cooled leeks and top with 1 teaspoon of the cheese. Cover the filling with the egg and cream mixture. Place the muffin tins onto cookie sheets and put them into the oven. Bake until the egg mixture has set and the quiches are lightly browned, 10 to 15 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes before turning them out onto a wire rack. Serve warm.

HUEY'S MINI LEEK TARTS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 200°C.
• Boil the water, add the leeks, salt, to taste and butter and continue boiling until the water has almost evaporated. Then turn heat down and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes or until the leeks are very tender. Then drain thoroughly.
• While the leeks are simmering, place the chopped onion and minced garlic in a microwave-safe dish with the 1/2 teaspoon of butter and microwave for probably about a minute (try 1/2 a minute first) or until the onion and garlic have just softened.
• Beat the eggs, the cream, the ¼ cup of grated cheese, the nutmeg and seasonings. Then add the leeks, the onions and garlic and mix thoroughly so that they are well-combined.
• With the olive oil spray, lightly spray 2 mini muffin trays (24 cups) and cut out circles from the pastry sheets, just slightly larger than the muffin tins.
• Gently push the pastry rounds into each cup and spread the leek mixture evenly between the cups, being careful not to over fill the cups. Then top each tart with a little grated tasty cheese and cook in the oven for about 12 to 15 minutes or until the tarts are golden. As ovens vary so much, it's a good idea to check them after 10 minutes. And if you know your oven is inclined to burn things, place a piece of kitchen loosely on top of the tarts for perhaps the first part of the cooking, and perhaps only add the additional grated cheese when you remove the foil.
• NOTE: If you want to freeze the tarts, firstly put them in the freezer (cooled, but as is) for 1-2 hours. Then remove them from the tins and transfer to an airtight container, placing baking paper between each layer. To cook, put them back into the muffin tins and cook from frozen.

LEEK TART

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
• Line a 9-inch pie pan with dough. Clean and trim leeks, and julienne. Melt the butter, add leeks and season and cook covered over medium to low heat for 20 minutes until softened. Mix the eggs and cream and all but 1/4 cup of the cheese and add the cooled leeks. Pour into pie shell, top with cheese and bake for 40 minutes.
• BRAISED LEEKS
• In an 8-inch skilled saute leeks in butter. Add chicken broth to almost cover. Cover pan, and to cook for about 20 minutes, until tender. Remove leeks to a platter. Reduce cooking liquid, pour over platter of leeks and garnish with fresh thyme.
• FRIZZLED LEEKS
• Heat oil to hot, but not smoking. Toss julienned leeks with some flour in a bowl. Add to hot oil and fry. Can be used as a garnish.

LEEK TART

Steps:

• In a bowl, combine the flour, salt and sugar; cut in butter until crumbly. Gradually add water, tossing with a fork until a ball forms. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes., In a large skillet, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp. Using a slotted spoon, remove to paper towels. Drain, reserving 2 tablespoons drippings. Saute leeks in drippings until tender; stir in the bacon. Stir in flour until blended; set aside., On a floured surface, roll dough to 1/8-in. thickness. Transfer to an ungreased 10-in. springform pan. Spoon leek mixture into crust. Trim pastry to 1/4 in. above filling; press pastry against sides of pan. Bake at 400° for 10 minutes., Meanwhile, in a bowl, beat the eggs, cream, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Pour over leek mixture. Bake until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, 20-25 minutes longer. Serve warm.

MINI LEEK TARTS

Steps:

• Chop of the green part from leek and cut lengthwise. Slice finely and in a sieve run under cold running water to clean from the soil dirt.
• On a skillet melt the butter and add leeks. Add salt, pepper and sweat few minutes until soft.
• In a bowl combine half & half, egg and shredded cheese. Add salt pepper and mix together. Add leek and stir the mixture around.
• Roll out the puff pastry and cut out nine uniform squares. Place each square in the muffin pan like on a picture.
• Spoon the mixture into each tart and bake in the oven preheated to 400ËšF for 30-40 min until the edges are nicely brown. Let cool slightly and transfer each tart to a plate.

LEEK & GOAT'S CHEESE TARTLETS

Steps:

• Wash the leeks in a colander but don't worry about drying them as you want a bit of water clinging on. Heat the butter in a wide saucepan until sizzling, then add the wet leeks and thyme leaves plus salt and pepper. Sweat the leeks really gently for 20-25 mins until they have practically melted but not coloured, adding a little more butter if needed. Set aside and allow to cool.
• Heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Roll the pastry out to the thickness of a £1 coin. Cut out 4 saucer-size circles and place on a baking sheet. Spread the leeks over the circles leaving a slight border around the edge. Put a slice of goat's cheese in the middle of each tart and top with a thyme sprig. Pinch the pastry edge together to slightly encase the leeks, then bake the tarts for 25 mins until puffed up and golden. Serve hot and drizzled with flavoured oil if you have it.

SALMON, LEEK AND DILL TARTS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6. Brush 6 holes of the Yorkshire pudding tins with a little melted butter.
• Melt half the butter in a medium saucepan. Add the leek, cover with a lid and simmer for about 5 minutes until tender. When soft, sprinkle in the flour and stir over the heat for 1 minute. Gradually add the milk, stirring all the time. Bring to the boil and cook until the sauce is thick. Stir in the wine and return to the boil, simmer until the sauce is thick again. Add the mustard and salmon pieces, reduce the heat and gently simmer, stirring from time to time for about 3-4 minutes, until the fish is just cooked. Try not to break the fish up too much. Season generously with salt and pepper and remove from the heat. Stir in the cheese, dill and cream. Set aside.
• Melt the remaining butter and brush it all over the filo pastry. Divide each sheet of filo into 4 rectangles. Put two rectangles on top of each other at an angle to make star shapes. Repeat with the remaining pastry rectangles. Push each 'star' into a hole of the greased tin and bake for 8-10 minutes, or until golden-brown and crisp.
• Just before serving, spoon the filling into the pastry cases and decorate each with a sprig of dill.

PANCETTA, LEEK, AND GOAT CHEESE TARTLETS

Steps:

• For crust:
• Blend flour and salt in processor 5 seconds. Add butter and cream cheese. Using on/off turns, blend until moist clumps form. Gather dough; shape into 6-inch-long log. Wrap and chill at least 1 hour and up to 1 day.
• Cut log into 24 1/4-inch-thick rounds. Press 1 round into each cup of 2 nonstick 12-cup mini muffin pans; freeze 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, prepare filling:
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Melt butter in large skillet over medium heat. Add leeks and sauté 10 minutes; cool. Heat oil in small skillet over medium-high heat. Add pancetta; sauté until crisp, about 6 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer pancetta to paper towels. Whisk half and half and next 3 ingredients in medium bowl to blend. Mix in goat cheese, then leeks and pancetta.
• Spoon filling into shells. Bake until filling is set and crust edges are golden, about 30 minutes. Cool in pans 5 minutes. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cool, cover, and chill in pans. Rewarm uncovered in 350°F oven 12 minutes.)
• Using small knife, cut around tartlets to loosen. Turn out tartlets and arrange on platter; top each with parsley leaf.
• *Pancetta (bacon cured in salt) is available at Italian markets and specialty foods stores