PP... puff pastry

Okay... puff pastry is good just about any which way, shout out to T who knows of my undying love for puff pastry. We all know the basics- deli roll, spinach/potato roll... and can even be used for sweet too (pear tart)... but we will go simple and delicious for today's ode to the puff.

After I gave birth, someone made this tomato tart for me and once I was back in the kitchen, I had to make it. It takes like 5 minutes and it's a great side to any meal...

Puff Pastry Duo-Tomato Tart
-1 sheet puff pastry (preferred brand: Pepperidge Farm, thawed)
-Earth Balance
-One red slicing tomato
-One yellow tomato (these aren't always in season, so just red tomatoes can do!)
-Fresh basil, cut chiffonade (roll up the leaves and cut into strips)

-Preheat the oven to 425 degrees
-On a floured surface, roll out the puff pastry sheet to a large square, and transfer to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper
-Spread the Earth Balance on the pastry and leave about 1/4 inch border on each end
-Prick the whole square, aside from the border, to prevent the pastry from puffing up too much in the oven
-Lay the tomatoes, alternating between yellow & red
-Bake at 425 for about 20 minutes until golden
-With 5 minutes left, sprinkle the basil onto the tart and return to the oven for the remainder of the time.

-Slice and enjoy :-)


The next recipe I made by default, I was making salmon for dinner and accidentally defrosted the puff pastry (took it out of the freezer to make room, and forgot to put it back in)... so I put the 2 together, and it ended up being a spin-off of Beef Wellington- aka the appetizers that inevitably end up on your plate at weddings...

(Side note: I highly recommend making the switch to wild salmon, wild fish in general, as opposed to farm raised fish)

Salmon Wellington with Cucumber Dill Sauce
-1 sheet puff pastry, defrosted
-2-4 fillets wild salmon
-1/2 cup dijon mustard (preferred brand: Grey Poupon)
-1/4 cup honey
-Dried oregano
-Eggwash

Sauce
-1 kirby
-1/2 cup reduced fat mayonnaise
-bunch of fresh dill, chopped, to taste
-2 tsp. fresh lime juice
-1 tsp. dried minced garlic


-Preheat oven to 425 degrees
-Roll out the pastry just to smoothen out the creases
-Marinate the salmon in the honey-mustard mixture (tip: before measuring out the honey, brush a little oil in the measuring cup, the honey will practically slide out. The salmon will be good as well with just olive oil, garlic salt, pepper, and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice)
-Place each fillet on top of the puff pastry and fold over to form a "package"
-Brush the tops with eggwash, and sprinkle with dried oregano
-To make the sauce, grate the peeled cucumber, and combine all ingredients. When the pastries are done (roughly 25-30 minutes), top with the sauce and enjoy!

E