Hello dear reader,

It is vegetarian week next week (19th – 25th May 2014) here in the UK and Betta Living are challenging bloggers to come up with creative vegetarian dishes. I’m sure you’ll agree my most creative vegetarian dish to date is my Doctor Who scarf in homage to Tom Baker. However, it’s not a recipe you may want to serve every day, or even, ever!
So here’s my favourite veggie recipe for the #BettaRecipe competition.

Beetroot and bramble tartlets with sugared walnuts

Ingredients
– 15 walnut halves
– 1 cup sugar
– 320g puff pastry
– 3 beetroot
– 3 tbsp bramble preserve
– 100g soft goats cheese
– 50g chopped toasted hazelnuts
– 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
– 4 tbsp rapeseed or olive oil
– 10 black peppercorns
– spinach leaves

First of all you need to make the sugared walnuts, which are served as a crunchy accompaniment.  You can skip these if you are short of time but they really do add a nice bite.

Sugared walnuts
1) Measure 1 cup of white sugar and ½ cup of water

2) Heat over a low heat until the sugar melts.  Then turn up the heat, bring to a boil and leave to simmer.

3) Meanwhile blanch the walnut halves in boiling water for five minutes.  Then drain.

4) Add the walnuts to the pan, tossing in the sugar syrup. Continue boiling until the sugar turns to light caramel in colour.  Lift out onto a lightly greased baking sheet, taking care to separate the walnuts and leave to cool.

Beetroot & bramble tartlets
This recipe makes 12 tartlets.
If you want to prepare them in advance, the tartlets can be frozen on the baking tray after step eight and then cooked from frozen.  Just add another 5-10 minutes to the baking time given at step nine.

Pre-heat oven to moderate hot (200°C, 400°F, Gas Mark 6).

1) Cook & peel three beetroots, or buy ready cooked.

2) Slice into thin slices about 3-4mm thick.

3) Roll out puff pastry to about 2mm thick and cut out twelve circles using a 9cm diameter cookie cutter.  Place onto a lightly oiled baking sheet.

4) Gently heat bramble preserve until melted down.

5) Brush the pastry circles with the melted preserve.

6) Place a slice of beetroot in the middle of each pastry circle & brush with melted bramble preserve.

7) Cut two slices of beetroot in half and take three of the half slices and arrange on top of the pastry and beetroot.

8) Glaze with more melted bramble preserve and top with crumbled goats cheese and chopped toasted hazelnuts.

9) Bake for 7 minutes, then turn the tray round and cook for another 2-3 minutes until the pastry is puffy and golden.

Bramble vinaigrette
Make the vinaigrette whilst the tartlets are cooking
1)  Re-heat any remaining bramble preserve and whisk in the balsamic vinegar.
2) Crush 10 black peppercorns with a couple of pieces of sea salt and add to the balsamic & bramble preserve.
3) Whisk in the oil a tablespoon at a time.

To serve
Take some small spinach leaves.

Dress the spinach leaves with the bramble vinaigrette and pile in the centre of a plate.  Using the leftover beetroot, cut some small slivers and place on top of the spinach.  Add three beetroot and bramble tartlets.  Add some more slivers of beetroot and some sugared walnuts.

The sugared walnuts or these puffed tartlets would also work very well on their own as canapés with drinks.  They can be eaten cold but are best served hot, straight from the oven.

Enjoy!

Vohn
x

P.S. This is my entry to the Betta Living Vegetarian Recipe competition. If you want to see the other entries check out #BettaRecipe on Social media. I am also entering into a couple of other blogger challenges…

Tea Time Treats run by the very lovely Karen at Lavender and Lovage and Janie at The Hedge Combers. Janie is hosting this month and her theme is Open Top Tarts

BakeFest bloggers challenge run by Vardhini over at Cooks Joy, which this month is guest hosted by Rafeeda over at The Big Sweet Tooth