If you’re looking for a centre piece for your Thanksgiving meal, or if you’re having friends round for dinner, try this delicious Plant-Based Tomato and Black Olive Tart with Fresh Basil and Pine Nuts.
I’ve served it here with roast potatoes, roast garlic, sweet carrot batons and Brussel sprouts with toasted caraway seeds.
You can also try my Plant-Based Cranberry and Onion Tart with Fresh Rosemary. It’s easier than you think to make. Just click here to go to the recipe.
For the carrots, take 500g/17oz carrots, washed and cut into even sized batons and put into a pot with four tbs honey and 500ml/17oz vegetable stock. Simmer for 15 minutes then increase the heat so the remaining stock evaporates. The carrots should be nice and shiny. Just before serving sprinkle two tablespoons of toasted sesame seeds over the carrots.
For the Brussels sprouts, take 500g/17oz washed and cut into half sprouts, steam them until tender, but not mushy. Toast two tablespoons of caraway seeds in a dry pot for a few minutes them add to the Brussels sprouts with the juice of a fresh lemon.
You can also roast the sprouts for 15 minutes in an oven proof roasting tin. Just put a few tablespoons of water in the tin with the sprouts, throw in some garlic cloves and two tablespoons of caraway seeds. Once cooked, squeeze the juice of a whole lemon over the sprouts and serve.
Plant-Based Tomato and Black Olive Tart with Fresh Basil and Pine Nuts
Equipment
- Mixing bowl
- Ovenproof roasting sheet
- Wooden spoon
- Pastry cutter
- Saucer
- Baking parchment
- Ceramic baking beans
Ingredients
- 320 g ready made rolled puff pastry thawed if frozen. Make sure it's labelled vegan friendly.
- 180 g pitted Kalamata olives
- 1 handful fresh basil leaves torn
- 1/2 tsp crushed chillies or one fresh red chillie finely sliced
- 1 teaspoon English mustard
- punnet sliced tomatoes of your choice I used baby tomatoes
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 50 g pine nuts
Instructions
- Turn the oven to 180 Celsius or 350 Fahrenheit. Meanwhile, add the olives, drained if you've bought them in brine or vinegar, half of the fresh basil leaves, mustard and chilli (you can leave the chilli out if you don't like them) to a container that you can use to mash them altogether. I use the beaker that comes with my hand held blender as I use that to combine them into a smooth paste.
- Put the puff pastry on a flat surface like an oven proof baking sheet. Use a pastry cutter or saucer and cut out four circles, each measuring 12cm/5" in diameter.
- Turn over the edges of each and pinch them to help them retain their shape. Prick the bases with a fork and using a pastry brush, brush them with some plant-based milk such as almond or brown rice.
- Line the tart with baking parchment and fill it with ceramic baking beans or dried pulses. This helps to stop the base becoming soggy and is known as 'baking blind'.
- Put the tarts into a hot oven for five to ten minutes.
- Remove from the oven and discard the baking parchment and ceramic baking beans or dried pulses.
- Divide the olive mixture equally between the four pastry circles. Top with the sliced tomatoes and scatter the pine nuts equally between the four tarts.
- Put back into the oven for a further 15-20 minutes and cook until they're brown and the pastry has risen
- Just before serving, sprinkle the torn fresh basil over the top of the four tarts and grind some fresh black pepper over them.
I’d love to hear how you get on making the Plant-Based Tomato and Black Olive Tart with Fresh Basil and Pine Nuts.
Oh, and don’t forget to share it with your friends and family using the buttons top left on this page.
If you’re just starting out on your plant-based journey then the following articles will help you.
How to get started on your plant-based journey to learn about the power plate. It was developed by Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine and provides optimal health for you and your family and is brilliantly flexible so you can eat in a way that suits your taste and lifestyle whilst getting all the nutrients you need.
If you’re struggling to eat more whole grains everyday, check out my five tips to help you here: How to easily eat more whole grains everyday
And if you’d like to read more about the power of fibre and why it’s so good for you, then read my 5 fabulous reasons fill fibre You should also check out the information on page 10 in this PDF.
A typical food plan for the day may look like this:
Oatmeal/porridge for breakfast made with water or plant-based milks such as rice milk. Topped with fresh fruit such as sliced banana. Two slices of wholemeal toast, spread with 100% fruit jams. Read about my 7 of the best ever plant-based breakfasts
Water and/or tea or coffee, black or made with plant-based milks.
Mid morning snack of fruit, or read my post on 11 simple plant based snacks to enjoy at work
For lunch
, how about a baked potato topped with veggie chilli, or soup and a salad. For ideas on sandwich fillings read my blog post on 7 inspiring plant based sandwich fillings for your lunch
For an afternoon snack remember to check out my suggestions here: 11 simple plant based snacks to enjoy at work
Now it comes to dinner. What’s quick to make, nourishing and doesn’t cost the earth? Try some of my delicious dinner recipes.
Let me know in the comments section below if you’ve made my Plant-Based Tomato and Black Olive Tart with Fresh Basil and Pine Nuts. I always love hearing from you!