Saints & Sinners Recipes - Mushroom Tartlet
We asked two Chapin-area Chefs to assist in creating the same dish with very different priorities in mind. Chef Sheila Veach, owner of Small Packages Catering was asked to create savory mushroom pizza-style tartlets to be served during a Sunday football game. Our request: throw caution to the wind. Regardless of consequences, make it decadently delicious.
We then asked Chef Brandon Carn, the current Director of Food and Nutrition for Newberry County Memorial Hospital to create the same dish. Given Brandon’s expertise and experience in serving health-conscious meals to those who need them most, we challenged him with a few dietary constraints. Make it low carb and low fat, and make it delicious too.
Their recipes are below: one for the sinners and one for the saints. We hope you’ll try them both, and find that it’s actually easy to behave angelically this football season. And if not, don’t worry. You can always seek forgiveness at the gym.
FOR THE SINNERS – from Chef Sheila Veach
SAVORY PORTABELLA PIZZA-STYLE TARTLETS
Ingredients
1 lb. Fresh Pizza dough (The “base” can also be made from store-bought Naan Bread, or a premade crust.)
½ C Olive Oil
1 C pine nuts
1 8 oz. package portabella mushrooms, sliced
½ small, red onion, sliced in rings
Fresh, chopped herbs to taste (basil, rosemary, parsley) - 3 tsp. total
10 oz. Mozzarella or Jack Cheese
2 tsp. chopped Garlic (or more if you love garlic)
1 container (6 or 8 oz.) Grape Tomatoes, sliced in half
6 oz. shredded Parmesan cheese
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Place pine nuts in dry, large, hot pan and stir often until they start to brown. Remove from pan.
3. In same, large pan, heat 3 Tbs. olive oil. Add portabella mushrooms and sauté for 2- 3 minutes. Remove from heat.
4. Cut fresh pizza dough into 6 pieces. Stretch or roll out each piece into to 2 1/2 or 3 inches rounds and place on cookie sheet.
5. Lightly press ½ of garlic into dough. Drizzle small amount of olive oil over dough.
6. Place sautéed mushrooms on dough; add nuts, red onion rings, the rest of garlic, and fresh herbs, sprinkle with mozzarella/jack/parmesan cheese.
7. Bake @ 400 for 15-22 minutes, or until dough is done.
8. Once baking is done let rest for 5 minutes then cut in to 4 pieces and enjoy.
Tartlets can be made ahead of time and frozen before baking. Just pull them out of freezer and bake from frozen. This can be made as a whole tart/pizza. Larger crust cooks for 20-28 minutes.
FOR THE SAINTS – from Chef Brandon Carn
Wild Mushroom Tartlets with Cauliflower Crust
Ingredients
2 ½ cup cauliflower, chopped
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 tsp. Italian seasoning, no salt, no MSG
1 egg
2 cups mozzarella cheese, low moisture, part skim, shredded
½ cup low fat ricotta cheese
½ cup chopped shitake mushroom
½ cup oyster mushrooms
1 garlic clove fresh chopped
2 tsp. olive oil
1 shallot fresh sliced
½ cup white balsamic vinegar
¼ cup basil, fresh chopped
1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Pulse the cauliflower florets in a food processor to a fine snowy powder (you should have about 2 ½ cups). Transfer the processed cauliflower to a microwave-safe bowl and cover. Microwave until soft, 4 to 6 minutes.
3. Transfer to a clean, dry kitchen towel and allow to cool.
4. When cool enough to handle, wrap the cauliflower in the towel and wring out as much moisture as possible, transferring to a second towel if necessary.
5. In a large bowl, stir together the cauliflower, Parmesan, Italian seasoning, egg and 1 cup of the mozzarella until well combined.
6. Transfer the Cauliflower mix onto a prepared baking sheet and into press into 4 - 3” round. Bake until golden, 8-10 minutes.
7. In a medium sauté ‘pan add oil, garlic, shallot and mushrooms. Cook until tender about 3-4 min. Add Balsamic vinegar and reduce heat. Simmer until vinegar has evaporated into mushrooms. Set aside and cool.
8. Remove the crust from the oven and top with low fat ricotta cheese and remaining 1 cup mozzarella. Add the mushroom sauté and bake until the cheese is melted and bubbly, about 10 minutes more.
9. Garnish with fresh chopped basil leaves just before serving.
To make this as a pizza, follow steps 1 – 5. For step 6, transfer the cauliflower mix onto the prepared baking sheet and press in to a 10-inch round. Bake until golden, 10 to 15 minutes. Then follow steps 7 - 9 as listed.
