Anyway You Slice It

I absolutely love Mediterranean food.  No matter if it’s from Italy, Morocco, Turkey, Spain or France, I love it all.  Fresh vegetables, legumes, olives, olive oil, cheese and an array of spices make for endless savory meals.  I find that if something you eat is truly satisfying and delicious, you eat less not more.  This Middle Eastern Tart can be served as an appetizer or entree, depending on whether or not you use both sheets of puff pastry, and how many you are serving.  Served with a salad, it is easily a complete meal.  It comes together pretty quickly and is showy enough for company.  The first time I made it there was left-over filling, which I stuffed into peppers and baked the next day.

MIDDLE EASTERN LAMB TART

INGREDIENTS:

1. 1 or 2 sheets puff pastry, thawed

2. 1 pound ground lamb

3. 1 tablespoon olive oil

4. 1 medium onion, choppped

5. 3 garlic cloves, minced

6. 1 (15 ounce) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes

7. 1 cup cooked chick peas (I use canned and drained)

8. 2 teaspoons ras el hanout (page    , or alternatively 1 teaspoon each ground cumin and oregano)

9. 1 teaspoon kosher salt

10. 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

11. 10 kalamata olives, pitted

12. 1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled

13. 2 tablespoons parsley, chopped

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

2. In a saute pan over medium heat add olive oil, onion and garlic until soft, about 3-4 minutes.  Add ground lamb, breaking up the lamb with a spoon and brown, about 5-6 minutes.  Add the tomatoes, chickpeas, olives and spices.  Simmer for about 5 minutes or until heated through.  Remove from heat and allow to slightly cool.

3. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper (two baking sheets if using both puff pastry sheets).  Roll out slightly, then make a one-inch rimmed line on the inside edges with a knife, taking care not to cut all the way through.  Prick the dough with fork all over in center area.  Place in oven and bake for 10 minutes, remove from oven and spoon mixture evenly in the center of each pastry sheet.  Top with feta cheese, brush pastry edges with beaten egg (optional) and bake for another 8-10 minutes or until puffed and edges are golden brown.

4. Top with chopped parsley and cut into desired portions; 4, 6 or multiple if serving as appetizer.  Serve.

Serves 2-4 as entree

“Cooking is like love.  It should be entered into with abandon, or not at all.” –Harriet von Horne.

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