vegetarian epicurean

As you may have noticed, I have a thing for quinoa.  When cooked properly, the nutty flavor is marvelous.  And when cheese is added? Well, that is obvious.  This crust is delicious.

I made this recipe in tartlet form a couple weeks ago for a dinner party and liked it so much, I made it again so I could take pictures for you (and of course, eat it). This crust would also be delicious for a quiche or any other type of savory tart.  You can change up the cheese variety, or even, gasp, remove it.  Survey is out on whether I can turn this into a sweet tart crust – I’ll get back to you on that.

Makes one 9.5″ tart or six 4.5″ tartlets

Ingredients:

Crust
3 cups cooked quinoa
2 oz grated manchego cheese
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary (2-3 sprigs)
3 tablespoons potato starch
2 tablespoons butter, melted
freshly ground black pepper and salt to taste
1 egg, lightly beaten + 1 egg white

Filling
1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp unsalted butter
3 medium Gala apples, peeled, cored, halved, and sliced 1/4 inch thick
6 medium yellow onions, halved and thinly sliced
2 Tbsp cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
1 oz grated manchego cheese
Freshly ground pepper, to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9.5″ tart pan or six 4.5″ tart pans with cooking spray.  Set on a baking sheet.
Heat filling oil and butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add apples and onions, and cook until golden brown, about 15 minutes. Cover, reduce heat to low, and cook until very soft and caramelized, about 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add vinegar and salt, and cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Let cool.

Meanwhile, mix together quinoa, rosemary, grated cheese, and 2 tbsp melted butter. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add in potato starch and eggs and stir until combined. Press into bottom and up sides of tart pan. Use a spoon to make sure it is firmly compressed.  

Pre-bake crust for  15-25 minutes until firm and just starting to turn golden.

Puree half the apple-onion mixture in a food processor until smooth. Using an offset spatula, spread apple-onion puree along bottom of tart. Sprinkle with 2/3 of the cheese. Season with pepper. Top with the remaining apple-onion mixture, and sprinkle with the remaining cheese.

Bake until the cheese is golden and bubbly and crust is light brown and crispy, 20 to 30 minutes. Serve tart warm or at room temperature.

Adapted from Martha Stewart.

Tags: apples, cheese, gluten-free, onions, quinoa, savory, tart