Brie and Tomato Tart

From: BBC Good Food 101 Veggie Dishes

Ingredients:

• 250 g/9 oz puff pastry
• 2 TBSP olive oil
• 225 g/8 oz courgettes/zucchini (about 2 small ones), cut into thin slices
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 225 g/8 oz brie, cut into thin slices
• 5 tomatoes, cut into thin slices

Directions:

1) Preheat the oven to 200C/Gas 6/fan 180C.
2) Roll out the pastry onto a damp baking sheet.
3) Score the pastry with a knife 2.5 cm/1 in from the edges and prick with a fork, inside of the marks.







4) Heat the oil in a frying pan and add the courgettes/zucchini for 1-2 minutes.







5) Add the oregano and season.
6) Cook for another 1-2 minutes.
7) Allow to cool.







8) Starting at a short end, arrange overlapping rows of Brie, tomatoes and courgettes/zucchini within the cut marks, ending with the Brie.






9) Drizzle the pan juices over it and season.
10) Bake for 25-30 minutes until the pastry is puffed up and the courgettes/zucchini are tender.

Tomato and Chive Tart

 

 From: BBC Good Food 101 Veggie Dishes

 Ingredients:

•  340 g pack shortcrust pastry
• 200 ml creme fraiche
• 2 eggs
• 2 TBSP green or red pesto
• 6 ripe tomatoes, sliced
• 225 g/8 oz cherry tomatoes, halved
• snipped fresh chives

Directions:

1) Preheat the oven to 220C/Gas 7/fan 200C.
2) Roll out the pastry and use to line the base and sides of a baking tin.







3) Mix the creme fraiche, eggs and pesto then season.









4) Pour this creamy mixture over the pastry. You might not use it all.








5) Scatter both kinds of tomato on top, then season.
6) Bake for 20 minutes until set.







7) Toss on some chives.
8) Serve cut into big squares, warm or cold.

Chocolate Chocolate Cheesecake Cupcakes

Double Birthday! Recipe comes from The Big Book of Cupcakes: 150 Brilliantly Delicious Dreamcakes

Ingredients:

• Cupcake
• 1 cup cocoa powder
• 2 cups boiling water
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 2 cups superfine sugar
• 4 eggs
• 2 3/4 cups all-flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting
• 8 oz cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 16 oz powdered sugar
• 1/3 cup cocoa powder
• 1/4 cup whipping cream
• Bar of chocolate

Directions:

1) Combine cocoa and 2 cups boiling water in a large heatproof bowl, stirring until blended and smooth.
2) Let cool.
3) Preheat the oven to 350F/176C






4) Beat butter with a mixer until creamy.









5) Add sugar slowly, beating until blended.








6) Add eggs, one at a time, beating until blended after each addition.








7) Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.









8) Add to butter mixture alternating with cocoa mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture.
9) Stir in vanilla extract.

 10) Place paper baking cups in cupcake pans and coat with cooking spray.









11) Spoon batter into cups, about 3-4 spoonfuls each.
12) Bake for 12-15 minutes.

13) To make the frosting, mix the cream cheese, butter, vanilla and salt until creamy.







14) Combine powdered sugar and cocoa.
15) Add to the cream cheese mixture alternately with cream, beginning and ending with powdered sugar mixture.
16) Beat at high speed 2 minutes or until creamy.







17) Poke a hole in the top of the cupcakes.
18) Fill the cupcake with the frosting and then frost the top.






19) Microwave the chocolate bar for 20 seconds.
20) Use a vegetable peeler to make curls.
21) Place on top of the cupcakes.

 Special Birthday Cupcakes

 

Pepper, Tomato and Pesto Omeltte

Again, you need to eat well before an exam!

Ingredients:

• 2 eggs
• salt and pepper
• 1/4 of a pepper, cut into small bits
• 1 tomato, cut into small bits with the seeds taken out
• 1 TBSP parsley
• 2 tsp pesto
• 2 TBSP cream cheese

I was skeptical about how the cream cheese would taste, but it worked out well!

1) Place oil in a pan on medium heat.
2) Mix the eggs and seasoning in a cup.
3) Place the egg mixture in the pan.
4) After it is solid, add the pepper, tomato, parsley, pesto and cream cheese, making sure the cream cheese goes around the edges.




5) Flip over the half that does not have filling.
6) After a few minutes, flip it again.

Crustless Vegetable Quiche

I love this dish for the colours and the pesto!

From: BBC Good Food 101 Veggie Dishes

Ingredients:

• 1 TBSP vegetable oil
• 1 yellow and 1 orange pepper, cut into quarters and seeded
• 2 courgettes/zucchini, cut into chunks
• 1 large red onion, cut into wedges
• 4 eggs, beaten
• 100 ml/ 3 1/2 fl oz milk
• 2 TBSP green pesto (or more!)
• salt and pepper

Directions:

1) Heat the oven to 200C/Gas Mark 6/fan oven 180C/392F
2) Heat the oil in a large frying pan.
3) Add the peppers, courgettes/zucchini, and onion over a high heat.







4) Stir for 2-3 minutes until lightly charred.
5) Grease or oil a 2 liter/3 1/2 pint ovenproof dish







6) Transfer the vegetables to the dish.








 7) In a large bowl, mix together the eggs, milk, pesto and seasoning.







8) Pour over the vegetables, trying to get some of the egg mixture over all of the vegetables even though it will slide to the bottom.
9) Bake for 25 minutes or until firm to the touch in the center.

As you can see from the pictures below, for the size of dish that I used (no measurement on it, but I knew everything would fit) the vegetables should have been chopped up more.