Caramelised red onion tart with herb cheese

The red onions are cooked long and slow with balsamic vinegar which makes a lovely sweet, concentrated caramel consistency. Then put into short crust pastry tart shells and topped with a plant based herby cheese and warmed in the oven before serving. Ideal for making ahead and then assembling when ready to serve.

Serve them as a special first course with some balsamic glaze and vinaigrette dressed salad leaves.

Pre heat the oven to 180C and take the ready rolled short crust pastry out of the fridge and allow to warm (otherwise it cracks when unrolling)

First peel and slice the red onions. I found 1 onion per tart and one for luck should be enough.

Slowly cook them in a large pan with a little oil or plant based butter and stir often Add two tablespoons of balsamic vinegar, a teaspoon of sugar and a few sprigs of fresh thyme. keep stirring, cook for about 30 minutes until they have reduced down and taken on a lovely glazed appearance and all the excess liquid has evaporated away. taste and adjust the seasoning. Turn off the heat allow to cool. (Remove any sprigs of herb)

While the onions are cooking make the pastry cases. unroll the shop bought plant based short crust pastry and cut ciircles out large enough to put into the pastry cases. Try not to stretch the dough, as it will remember and shrink back when you cook it.

Next blind bake the pastry shells by placing a large circle of baking paper in each case and filling with baking beads. Place in the oven and bake for 12-15 mins or until browned. Remove the baking beads and paper, any pastry that has still risen, gently pat down and then cook for another 5 mins until a light brown. remove from the oven and allow to cool.

Make the herby cheese. I found the plant based cream cheese very bland, so I take a couple of spoonful and mix with fresh and dried herbs. Then use some baking paper to create a log of cheese that can then be pout in the fridge ready to use whenever. For this dish a slice per tart when you are ready to assemble.

Make a simple green salad with a vinaigrette dressing which is quite sharp, but contrasts the sweetness of the onions (don’t dress the salad until you are ready to serve).

The components to the dish are now ready and can be put to once side and assembled 15 mins before serving.

When ready to serve, place the pastry shells on a baking tray and fill each one with the onion mixture and top with a slice of the herbed cheese and place in a preheated oven (150c) for 15 mins or whenever they are warmed through.

Dress the salad in a bowl.

Then prep each plate with a fancy drizzle of balsamic glaze and a portion of salad. Take the tarts out of the oven and remove from the tart cases and place on the plates and serve immediately.