i used to insist on meat. i "needed" it. at every meal. it wasn't a real meal if it didn't have meat, and that was that, and i was proud of it. no way would i be caught being the bread and salad girl.
but now, i'm not so dependent. after i started buying my own groceries and actually looking at prices, i found out, okay, maybe i don't need meat as much as i thought. then over the past year, after learning about some of the malpractices in our meat industry, i was even more open to the idea of using less meat. i still love it, of course. a good cheeseburger is still my favorite meal after all, but i am glad that i don't necessarily need to build my meals around it. and i'm learning lots of other good ways to get my protein. and it saves a ton of money!
happily, there have been loads of yummy non-meat recipes falling into my lap lately. maybe it's because i have my eyes open for them now, but it seems like they're running rampant. here is one of them now. rachel's brilliant apple and onion tart made a perfectly cozy fallish dinner. it's one of those meals that are even better the next day straight out of the fridge. grant wasn't sure how he'd like apples and onions together, but he trusted me (he is so awesome about letting me play with our food) and ended up really liking it. yay! please make it when it gets gray and chilly someday soon, and while you still have orchard apples. those caramelized onions are to die for.
ps. i chose an olive oil-based dough and it was super easy to make. seriously. like 5 minutes tops.
savory apple & onion tart
adapted from heart of light
1 batch whole wheat tart dough (see below)
3 large apples
3 onions, sliced (i used 2 yellow and 1 red)
1- 2 tablespoons olive oil
salt, to taste
shredded cheese of your choice (i used a pinch of parmesan, and mostly cheddar because i love to pair it with apples.)
whole wheat tart dough
adapted from chocolate and zucchini
1 3/4 cups white whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dried herbs (i used sage)
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup cold water
make your tart dough: grease your pan lightly. combine flour, salt, and herbs in a medium bowl. add the oil and mix it in with a fork. add the water, mix with the fork until it is absorbed, then knead lightly (i did this with just one hand, in the bowl) until the dough comes together into a ball. turn the dough onto a floured surface and roll out to fit your pan, or if you are doing a hand-formed tart on top of a baking sheet (which is what i did), just roll it out to a large circle, or a few smaller circles. do this in quick, assertive gestures to avoid overworking the dough. transfer dough to prepared pan and trim excess, if needed. place pan in the fridge for 30 minutes.
for the filling: heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-low heat. add onion, sprinkle with salt and cook about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until onions are a deep, golden brown. while onions are cooking, thinly slice your apples. (you can peel them, if you prefer. i left my peel on.) when onions are ready, remove from heat and toss them with the apples.
finish: preheat oven to 375 degrees. remove tart crust from fridge and spread half of the apple and onion filling on top. sprinkle on a thin layer of cheese. spread remaining filling on top of this, and finish with a generous topping of cheese. fold crust edges over and toward center, if not using a traditional tart pan. bake about 45 minutes, or until pastry and cheese are nicely golden brown.
i know these instructions look long, but really, it comes together super quick and easy!
15 comments:
This looks incredible!
YUM! It looks like a fancy pizza!
I'd like to know how you make your food always look so beautiful. Your talent never ceases to astound.
Your food pictures are cookbook worthy! I gotta try this recipe, it sounds delish!
This sounds surprisingly good! Did you know that one of Almanzo Wilder's favorite foods (in Farmer Boy by Laura Ingalls Wilder) was fried apples and onions? This post made me think of that. : )
I am making this for dinner tonight. This seems like a great go to meal as I most always have apples, onions and cheese on hand.
One question, was it filling enough to go as the main dish?
Please continue to share meatless dinner ideas. We try at least twice a week to forgo the meat.
@ bekah.. YES, it was definitely filling enough to be the main dish, and we even had enough leftovers for another meal for two! hope it turns out for you, my friend!
@ hannah.. oh hannah, you are so kind. i'm planning a photo post very very soon!
when i decided that i needed to take a second trip to go apple picking, i knew just the blog to find creative apple-recipe inspiration! sounds yummy :)
I'm kind of with Grant on the whole apple and onion thing, but if he liked it then I'm sure it's delish. I will of course be trying this!
This is delicious and perfect for autumn!! I am loving your blog. The photos are fantastic.
xo M
I'm totally bookmarking this for future reference. Thanks for sharing!
Looks beautiful! So glad it worked out for you. I'll have to give that whole wheat crust a go sometime soon.
Oh, a very yes, please, to a photo post from you!
I can smell that apple and caramelized onion tart all the way here in Vermont! I'm getting more apples and some onions at the store today!
Thank you for sharing your recipe, your photos, and talents. And another yes, to more vegetarian ideas!
Never would've thought to put apples + onions together, but it sounds quite good!
What a gorgeous tart! If I can find some nice apples at the farmer's market this weekend, I will try it out.
So easy to vegan-ize too :) I'll just use Daiya "cheese" instead of regular. That's awesome that you're finding the benefit of cutting out meat (especially the factory-farmed kind!).
Jes
yourmomsavegan.blogspot.com