Sunday, December 29, 2013

Mushroom Potato Puff Pastry Pizza



On the one hand, this recipe's non-standard combination of mushrooms, potatoes, traditionally "English" herbs, and - GASP - rectangular puff pastry sheets may technically disqualify it as "pizza" for some purists. On the other hand, ask me if I care (spoiler alert: I don't, because it is awesome). For one thing, using puff pastry as a base - as opposed to a yeast-raised crust - is not only faster and easier than the traditional approach, it ensures that all the entree-size pieces are corner pieces, and what right-minded person wouldn't want that? Of course, you could also cut the finished product into smaller slices to serve as a swanky hors d'oeuvre: your call. For another thing, it's equally delicious hot or at room temperature; for yet another, no matter how you slice it the whole enterprise takes about an hour from start to finish, which is about as close to instant gratification as it gets for homemade pizza. So what are you waiting for? Buon appetito! (Or something.)

Mushroom Potato Puff Pastry Pizza
Ingredients
~ Two sheets frozen puff pastry, thawed
~ 1/2 lb. mushrooms, sliced
~ 2 tbsp. olive oil
~ 4 medium sized potatoes, cooked and sliced thinly
~ 4 cloves garlic, minced
~ 1/2 tsp. salt, ground sage, ground rosemary, marjoram
~ A few grinds black pepper
~ 2 cups grated vegan mozzarella (I used Daiya)
~ 1 cup plain, unsweetened soy milk

Directions
~ Preheat the oven to 375 fahrenheit and lightly coat two baking sheets with cooking spray.
~ Coat a large skillet with cooking spray and cook the sliced mushrooms over medium-high heat for about 10 minutes, until they have released their liquid and begun to brown slightly. Transfer to  palate and set aside.
~ In the same skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat and add the sliced potatoes; cook, stirring gently, for about 5 minutes.
~ Add the minced garlic, salt, ground sage, ground rosemary, marjoram, and pepper and cook a few minutes more. Stir in the cooked mushrooms, remove from heat, and set aside to cool.
~ In a saucepan, combine the vegan mozzarella and the soy milk and cook, stirring frequently, over medium-low heat, until the cheese melts, and you have a smooth sauce. Remove from heat.
~ Arrange the thawed puff pastry sheets on the prepared baking sheets; gently fold in the edges and crimp to form a rim.
~ Divide the mozzarella mixture evenly between the puff pastry, using a spatula to spread the sauce right to the edges.
~ Divide the mushroom/potato mixture evenly between the tarts and sprinkle with a little extra rosemary.
~ Bake at 375 for about 30-40 minutes, until the pastry has puffed up and everything is golden brown (ovens vary wildly and mine tends to be slow, so keep an eye on it).
~ Allow to cool for 5-10 minutes before slicing. (NB that in the unlikely event of leftovers, they will reheat nicely in the toaster oven.)

1 comment:

  1. 3 cheers for corner pieces! I love this recipe...thanks for sharing! :)

    ReplyDelete