Flavorful Mediterranean Tarts

Cheater Tomato, Olive and Caramelized Onion Tarts

This recipe is great if you already have to be in the kitchen preparing other dishes and can therefore keep an eye on the onions as they slowly caramelize. If not, then feel free to skip the onions, it will still taste great without them! Normally I’m against purchasing pre-made frozen pastry, pie crusts, etc. because there are only 2 or 3 ingredients, but in the case of puffed pastry with all the folding and rolling, folding and rolling, I prefer to let Pepperidge Farm do the work, hence the word ‘Cheater’ in the title.

Ingredients:

1 medium yellow onion

1 tbsp. olive oil

1 tbsp. unsalted butter

1 sheet frozen puffed pastry, thawed at room temp.

1/2 pint of cherry tomatoes, cut in half

1/2 pint Kalamata olives, pitted and roughly chopped

2 oz. Boursin cheese (or any soft cheese you prefer)

Fresh basil

Salt and pepper

Balsamic vinegar

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

-Heat butter and oil in a fry pan over medium heat

-Add sliced onions and a pinch of salt, keep onions moving around the pan for the first 5 minutes or so

-Reduce heat and stir occasionally until they are a rich color and have significantly reduced in volume (about 20 minutes)

-Place puffed pastry on a parchment lined sheet pan and bake for 15 minutes (it will puff up quite large in the oven and then deflate once you remove it)

-Once the pastry has cooled slightly, smear with the boursin cheese and then cover with caramelized onions, tomatoes and olives

-Sprinkle basil, salt and pepper overtop and finish with a tiny drizzle of balsamic vinegar

-Bake for another 15-20 minutes until pastry is golden brown and flaky and the tomatoes have roasted under the heat

-Cut into squares and devour

*Delicious when served with spring greens, baby spinach or arugula dressed lightly with freshly squeezed lemon juice, balsamic vinegar and salt and pepper.