Turkey, Blue Cheese and Caramelized Onion Tart. Photo: Sarah LeTrent.
Few of us want to make a complicated lasagna for solo dining -- by day six, you'll never want to see lasagna again! In this series, AOL Food staffer Sarah LeTrent taste-tests simple recipes suitable for a "table for one."
Despite appearances, tarts are quite rudimentary to assemble. Plus they are a simple and elegant way to use up your leftovers. When I found my refrigerator stocked with a lone baked turkey breast, blue cheese and an onion, the endless versatility of tarts struck a cord of culinary inspiration.
Seems like caramelized onions and pungent cheese -- be it blue, Roquefort or gorgonzola -- have an affinity for one another in many recipes. This savory tart is no exception: The sweetness of the onions is absolutely ambrosial with tangy fromage bleu. And while turkey tends to be overlooked in months that don't end in "ember," it is used here as a protein-packed topping.
Even as a little boy I was a champion of diversity. I didn't care if the onion was white, yellow or red. I liked them all. My favorite meal at grandma's house was her onion sandwich: thin slices of onion, two slices of bread and a generous layer of Duke's mayonnaise.
Fortunately for all of you, my tastes are a little more sophisticated now, though sophisticated and simple are not mutually exclusive when it comes to good recipes. Have you ever thought about combining savory caramelized onions, tangy blue cheese and sweet, juicy slices of apple? I hadn't either, until our friend (and former Martha Stewart Everyday Food editor Sandy Gluck) made the suggestion. The result was a delicious and decadent onion tart that will impress every single person at your table.
The only thing better than a handful of fat, juicy Medjool dates is a tart full of plump, juicy Medjool dates. Especially if it looks like this one.
Baked and photographed by the Gourmet Worrier, its gleaming surface -- slicked with an application of melted apricot jam and orange blossom water -- hints tantalizingly at the glories lurking within, and it's easy to imagine the mouthwatering aroma of almonds wafting from the first slice. And the second, third and eighth slices. Come to think of it, it's easy to imagine a plate of crumbs, accompanied by a guilty grin, a very long nap and dreams, of course, of dates.
Try saying this three times fast: Chocolate Mousse, Salted Caramel Ganache, Peanut and Banana Caramel Tart. As difficult as it may be to say, it looks like a breeze to eat (three times fast, of course).
Baked by Aran at Cannelle et Vanille, these diminutive beauties have almost as many complex layers as the Earth's surface. The chocolate shells are filled with a layer of banana caramel with peanuts, another layer of triple chocolate salted caramel ganache, and then crowned with a cloud of chocolate mousse.
The whole is garnished with cocoa powder, chocolate shavings and chopped peanuts. Eat. Await indescribable bliss.
Slicing onions makes us cry hot burning tears of pain (which is why we now cut them while wearing goggles), but this photo reminded us yet again that, where onions are concerned, "no pain, no gain." This is particularly true when the results are these gorgeous white onion and pecorino tarts.
Baked by Madalene, the mastermind behind The British Larder, the tarts contrast the lush sweetness of caramelized onions with the sharp bite of pecorino, providing delectable proof that opposites do indeed attract. They are stunning in their simplicity: Rather than (ahem) tart them up, Madalene opts to showcase the onion's whorled, earthy beauty. These look less like tarts than some sort of exotic blossoms, and right now we're plotting ways to make them bloom in our own kitchen.
'Appetite' Nigel Slater Clarkson Potter -- 2000 Buy it at Amazon
Anyone titling a recipe "Classic, Unmucked-About-With Roast Chicken" is going to get our attention. Our Brooklyn kitchen measures 5-feet by 7-feet, so we're enormous fans of simple, hearty fare. So is Nigel Slater, an English toque who only uses a handful of seasonal ingredients in his recipes and would not take kindly to the notion that "back to basics" is some brand-new trend (this book printed in 2000). Slater's juicy roast chicken is our standby, his caramelized onion-taleggio tart has amazed many a dinner guest and his general approach to cooking -- welcoming, hilarious, opinionated -- is right up our alley.
Takeaway tips:
Not a book for those who like their measurements precise; Slater's a fan of "a handful" and "a bunch."
There's a knockout pantry guide: "A bag of pasta, a lump of Parmesan and a bottle of olive oil ... the best friends you will ever have."
Look for the "what goes with what" primer, which includes "marriages made in heaven" like figs and Roquefort.
Pour yourself a drink before cooking (his words, not ours).
Look for the "and more" at the end of each recipe (i.e.: A Potato Supper "with sausage" or "with cheese").
Quality of pictures: These are snapshots for real, hungry cooks, with droolworthy pics of the greasy inside of a skillet, an Impressionistic stained apron and a closeup of freshly plucked sage you can nearly smell.
You're all set to stick your pie crust in the oven to blind bake, and you realize that you don't have any pie weights. No need to fret, there are plenty of alternatives in your kitchen already.
My family is intensely passionate about quality maple syrup. There's none of that fake, cloyingly sweet pancake syrup in our houses. Only dark, grade B, deeply flavored maple. It's best bought in bulk from a local health food store, although Trader Joe's brand does in a pinch. I love using it to sweeten oatmeal and also have an oatmeal cookie recipe that incorporates it. On those occasions when my sweet tooth beckons and there isn't a bit of chocolate in the house, a small spoonful of maple syrup sates the sugar need nicely.
Knowing a little about this maple obsession of mine will help you understand why I am now totally fixated on the recipe Deb posted on Smitten Kitchen yesterday. She baked up a Nutmeg-Maple Cream Pie (and let's not get me started on my love of freshly ground nutmeg. I use it in nearly everything) that she dug out of the New York Times archive. She chose to bake it in a tart pan instead of a pie pan, which makes it look elegant as well as delicious. This is one that's going in the Must Make file for the very near future.
Something about this shot struck a deep Pavlovian chord within me. It could be that it's so humid in New York City these days that the very idea of indulging in a citrusy, summery mangolicious dessert is positively refreshing. Or it could be that mangoes are just downright sexy. Most likely it's a combination of all these things.
Either way Nook & Pantry's Mango Lime Curd Tart is a decidedly more elegant way to eat mangoes than my usual method, which involves standing over the sink and slurping. Plus, this tart adds the bracing flavor of lime curd. It's enough to make me want to take up baking. If you feel the same way, click here for the recipe.
Cold (and wet, depending on where you live) winter weather tends to make us crave hot, hearty foods, but that doesn't do anything to diminish the appeal of something light for dessert after a heavy meal. In fact, a bright cirtus dessert can serve as a reminder that spring is still on the way - and the Lemon Cream Tartlets from Helene at Tartelette are very spring-like, indeed. The recipe comes from Dorie Greenspan's newest book, Baking: From My Home to Yours, and it is rumored to be one of the best lemon tartlet recipes out there, with an intense lemon flavor and silky smooth texture. The texture is due to the fact that an entire cup of butter is used to make the filling for only a handful of tarts, making it anything but light in fat and calories. One bite should make you be enough to forget the nutritional stats and just let you enjoy the heavenly flavor of the tart.
Jam and honey are the new orange - orange marmalade, that is. The slightly sweet preserve is rapidly falling out of fashion in England. It first gained popularity in England in the 17th century, when citrus fruits became common and the preservation technique used for cooking quinces was applied to them. Since that time the spread has only grown in popularity and, for at least the past several decades, could be considered to be a breakfast staple in many homes. In the last year, however, 440,000 households in Britain stopped buying marmalade. Statistics indicate that the reason for the decline may be younger consumers, as most in the under 45 age group consider it to not be sweet enough. 81% of marmalade is eaten by those over 45.
With the decline of marmalade comes the rise of jam and honey, which grow more popular every year, despite reports last year that indicated that jam, too, was falling from favor. Honey is up almost 5%, while jam is up 1.5%.
Retailers and manufacturers alike are now trying to find ways to draw more children to marmalade
As luscious as fruit tarts can be, there will always be those who insist that a dessert is not complete unless chocolate is involved in it. These particular Little Chocolate Tarts are the creation of Jules, of the food blog Stone Soup. While you will have to bake up the mini tart shells yourself, the filling is surprisingly simple. It is basically the same rich, creamy chocolate ganache that you find in truffles and is made of high quality dark chocolate and cream, melted together and poured into the shells to firm up. Each one, no matter how small you make the tart cases, is going to be an intense chocolate experience and should more than satisfy the chocolate lover.
If only there was slightly more time during the average morning to bake elegant breakfasts, we might all switch from whatever we currently scarf down - cereal, toast, eggs, donuts, etc. - before heading out the door to breakfast tarts. Sam of Becks and Posh created this truly stunning breakfast tart, an artful arrangement of bacon, mushrooms, tomatoes and an egg on a crust of pre-baked puff pastry. The puff pastry is pre-baked to prevent it from getting soggy under the weight of the toppings, which are prepared as the crust bakes. The finished dish, egg included, are popped into the oven just until the egg is set and everything is warmed though. Sam doesn't include the recipe, but if you're willing to experiment a bit, it shouldn't be too hard to recreate her steps at home. Just remember to take her advice: don't be impatient, don't be lazy and don't overcook the egg. You'll be eating your own tart in no time.
Chocolate cake and chocolate cookies are all well and good, but when you want to do something a little fancier, a chocolate tartlet might be just the thing. These bittersweet chocolate mini tartlets were cooked up by Anita at Dessert Comes First for a party that had some guests with discerning palates. The tarts are actually not much more difficult to make than cookies would have been since the shortbread-like base is pressed into mini muffin tins to make the shells, which are then filled with a creamy and intense chocolate filling and baked again to set them slightly. The quick and easy tarts, as Anita so brilliantly suggests, can then be topped with any number of things to spice them up a bit before serving. She used cacao nibs, chopped nuts and chili powder.
And for any s'mores fans out there, a marshmallow topping would make this a very adult s'more, indeed.
The clock is counting down slowly, but surely, on tomato season, making fresh tomatoes something of a precious commodity. Perhaps this is one of the reasons that Bea, of La Tartine Gourmande, referred to her Roasted Tomato, Red Onion and Arugula Tart as the jewel of summer. The tart is a simple one to make, so you won't have to expend much energy in making it before you get to enjoy it. It uses a sheet of puff pastry as the base and is topped with slow-roasted cherry tomatoes and garlic, sauteed onions and mozzarella cheese. The finished dish is topped with a bit of parmesan cheese and some arugula, to provide a sharp contrast to the relative richness of the tart. If you opt not to make the whole tart, at least consider just making the roasted tomatoes, which would be lovely on a sandwich or as part of a pasta dish.
Try saying this three times fast: Chocolate Mousse, Salted Caramel Ganache, Peanut and Banana Caramel 
'Appetite'
Jam and honey are the new orange - orange marmalade, that is. The slightly sweet preserve is rapidly 
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