Mushroom and Onion Tart for One

You won’t want to wait until this pretty little treat is cool enough to eat because the smells will have been taunting you for quite a while. But after you finish burning your upper palate, you’ll love how simple this pie tastes, how earthy and savory, and yet so delicate at the same time!

For the Crust:

¼ cup all-purpose flour

Pinch salt

1 TBLSP coconut oil (or vegan butter)

2 ½ teaspoons cold water (half could be vodka)

½ TBLSP olive oil

For the Filling:

Slosh of olive oil

¼ yellow onion, chopped

1 clove garlic

½ TBLSP water (or veggie broth, or white wine)

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

4 ½ TBLSP non-dairy milk (I like almond, but coconut or soy would be nice, too)

1/3 cup of mushrooms, sliced or chopped (I used button, but a mix of oyster, Portobello, and etc. would be even better)

1 or 2 thin slices of onions, halved

Another slosh of olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

1 sprig of fresh thyme (or a pinch of dry), stems removed

Make the Crust:

Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a single-serving pie or tart shell with parchment paper, cutting it neatly to fit. Mine is about 5-inches across. (It doesn’t have to be round, and you could even free-form it on a lined baking pan.)

1. In a small bowl, combine the flour and salt. Cut in the coconut oil with a fork until it makes little pills. Add in the cold water (or half vodka) and oil, and mix together. Use your hands to make it into a nice tight ball.
2. Press the dough into the prepared tart shell with your fingers, bringing the dough up the sides at least ½-inch. You want a good lip to help control the tasty goodness that goes inside.
3. Bake for 5-7 minutes. It won’t have changed color at all, but it will have a slight skin when you touch it with your fingertips.

Make the Filling:

1. In a sauté pan, heat the olive oil, and then toss in the chopped onions. Cook them until they’re translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for another minute, and then add the water (or wine or broth) and deglaze the pan, scraping up any lovely onion bits that might have stuck to the pan. Salt and pepper generously, and then take the pan off the heat.
2. Put the sautéed onions in a blender or food processor, add the milk, and blend until it’s smooth.
3. In a small bowl, toss the mushrooms and sliced onions in another slosh of olive oil, and sprinkle with some salt and pepper.

Assemble the Tart:

1. Spoon the smooth onion mixture into the tart shell.
2. Sprinkle the mushrooms and onion slices generously across the top of the filling. Sprinkle the thyme leaves over the top.
3. Bake for 35-40 minutes, until golden brown and the edges of the mushrooms are also golden and scrumptious.

Devour as if the gods will steal this tart in 3, 2, 1….