As the COVID-19 pandemic rages on, going on a summer vacation to exotic international destinations might not be possible still, but with mandatory precautions in place like applying sanitizer, wearing masks and maintaining social distance, you can still travel to nearby places. If you have some forest woodland or a local coastal town within the vicinity, plan for a good old family outing. And if you’re obviously wondering about the food factor and not comfortable eating out may we suggest you go continental this time around and try your hand at baking some savoury tartlets, laden with nourishing ingredients of fresh vegetables, lush herbs, tantalizing spices, packed with vitamins, minerals, proteins that augment overall health?
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So What Exactly Are Tartlets?
Tartlets - crunchy delicacies similar to puff pastries, are merely the mini version of tarts, comprising a baked fluffy base packed with a filling that is left open at the top and not covered with another layer of dough. Tarts are believed to have originated several centuries ago in the Europe of 1500s, in medieval cooking practices of arranging layers of food on top of one another, common in the United Kingdom and France. They bear a striking resemblance to English recipes of baked pies, French cuisine of quiches, with treacle tart, lemon tart, meringue tart, as well as desserts with strawberries, blueberries, raspberries being the most famous traditional varieties of tartlets. Even now, the major fan-favourite tartlet stuffings are still sweet dishes such as berry jams, fresh fruits, chocolates, dry fruits like dates, apricots and nuts such as almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts.
Also Read: Hazelnuts For Health: Scrumptious Baked Recipes With These Nutritious Kernels
Tempting Savoury Tartlet Recipes For Healthy Picnic Appetizers:
Nevertheless, savoury tartlets are becoming increasingly popular, being loaded with a myriad variety of delectable and wholesome ingredients, ranging from browned onions and scrambled eggs to mashed potatoes and roasted corn kernels. Moreover, these miniature crispy snacks are the ideal nutritious grub to boost energy levels, satiate the appetite and uplift overall wellbeing. Plus, tartlets are the perfect mini crunchy appetizers to conveniently pack in those picnic boxes and bite into on a laidback outing, with some sandwiches. Go ahead then, wear your chef’s hats and rustle up these mouth-watering and nourishing savoury recipes of Cheesy Spinach Tartlets and Fried Mushroom Tartlets. Then neatly wrap them up in containers and carry them along to relish as a healthy snack on your weekend family picnic.
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Cheesy Spinach Tartlets
Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
½ cup unsalted butter
3 tbsp olive oil
4 tbsp shredded cheese
9 – 11 spinach leaves, finely chopped
1 small tomato, cut into pieces
Salt, as needed
2 tsp black pepper powder
Method:
Beat the all-purpose flour, butter and olive oil in a big bowl to obtain the dough and cool for 1 hour in the refrigerator.
Heat a bit of olive oil on medium flame in a skillet, sauté the spinach leaves, tomato pieces along with shredded cheese, salt and pepper, for 3 – 5 minutes, then switch off the stove.
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celcius.
Roll the dough on a flat plate, divide it into even-sized circles, place them in mini muffin cases, put in the spinach filling and bake for 15 minutes.
Store these hot cheesy spinach tartlets in an air-tight container and carry them along to enjoy on a relaxed outdoor excursion.
Nutrition:
Spinach contains ample amounts of iron, for healthy blood circulation and preventing anaemia. Imbued with vitamin E, healthy unsaturated fats, olive oil promotes heart wellness. Cheese is a storehouse of proteins, for strong muscles and optimal growth, development of bodily organs, tissues. Bestowed with the potent antioxidant lycopene, tomatoes scavenge harmful free radicals from damaging healthy cells and lower the risk of cancer.
Fried Mushroom Tartlets
Ingredients:
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
5 tbsp butter, melted
3 tbsp fresh cream
2 tbsp canola oil
1 cup soft mushrooms, finely sliced
1 medium onion, cut into pieces
2 garlic pieces, chopped
Salt, as per taste
Method:
Combine the melted butter and fresh cream with the all-purpose flour in a large vessel to form the dough and set aside in the fridge for 1 hour.
In a pan, heat the canola oil on medium flame, sauté the onions, garlic until they become translucent and their strong odour fades, then add the sliced mushrooms, required amount of salt and fry for 5 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celcius.
Level the dough on a uniform surface or smooth kitchen slab, section it equally into circles, line it on mini muffin trays, transfer the mushroom stuffing and bake for 12 minutes.
Pack these delightful fried mushroom tartlets in a sealed box and relish them on your weekend getaway with family.
Nutrition:
Mushrooms are a veggie superfood, blessed with the goodness of vitamin C to bolster immunity and B vitamins to enhance metabolism. Fresh cream supplies profuse quantities of proteins, healthy unsaturated fatty acids, for fortifying cardiac muscles and averting heart disease. Onions possess vast reserves of dietary fibers and high water content, to facilitate smooth digestion and efficiently assist in weight loss. Brimming with powerful antimicrobial compounds and anti-inflammatory properties, garlic works wonders in fighting infections, common cold, fevers and soothing bone, muscle and joint pain.
