Baby Eggplant Curry (Instant Pot)

This baby eggplant curry is spicy and warming, the perfect dinner on cold night or even a hot one! Serve with brown or white rice to complete the meal. 

It was my birthday last month and one of my gifts was the cookbook Instant Pot Asian Recipes for the Pressure Cooker (<affiliate link) by Patricia Tanumihardja. My husband and younger daughter know how enamored I have become of my Instant Pot – and we all love Asian cuisine - so it was an excellent choice. If you don't have an Instant Pot, you can make this recipe in a traditional stovetop pressure cooker. 

The recipes are pan-Asian with dishes from Vietnam, Thailand, the Philippines, Korea, Indian, Japan, China and, not to get political but also Taiwan. There are even a handful of desserts. I’ve bookmarked several recipes to try so stay tuned to see which one I’ll adapt next. There are so many that look tasty! 

Baby Eggplant Curry

As mentioned, this recipe is adapted from one in Instant Pot Asian Recipes for the Pressure Cooker. The original called for 2 tablespoons of brown sugar but it was just slightly too sweet for us so you will see that I put 1 tablespoon in the ingredients list. It was still delicious regardless but next time I will use only the one tablespoon I recommend below. 

Ingredients

1 lb or 450g baby eggplants 

1 teaspoon ground turmeric 

2 teaspoons salt, divided 

1/4 cup or 60ml canola or other light oil 

1/2 large yellow onion, halved and cut into thin crescents 

3-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and minced

3 cloves garlic, minced 

3 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds 

2 teaspoons ground cumin 

2 teaspoons ground coriander 

1/2 teaspoons ground cayenne

Zest 1 lime

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice 

1 tablespoon dark brown sugar 

1/2 cup or 120ml water

1 can (13.5 oz or 399ml) unsweetened coconut milk

For the cornstarch slurry: 

2 tablespoons cornstarch

2 tablespoons cold water

To serve:

Toasted sesame seeds

Chopped cilantro

Optional: sliced hot red chili peppers

Method

Trim the baby eggplant of their stems. If they are as small as mine, you can cut them in half lengthwise. If they are bigger, quarter them. 

Put the eggplant in a colander, sprinkle with the turmeric and 1 teaspoon salt, and toss to coat. Let the eggplant sit in the colander over the sink for 30 minutes.

Slice the onion into thin crescents. Peel and mince the ginger and garlic. Measure out your spices and sesame seeds so they are ready to use when needed. 

Turn the Instant Pot on to sauté and add the oil and heat until it starts to shimmer. Add the onion, ginger and garlic and stir and cook until soft and translucent, 4 to 5 minutes. 

Add the sesame seeds, cumin, coriander, cayenne and cook for another 4 to 5 minutes, till the spices are fragrant. 

Add in the lime zest, lime juice and brown sugar. Stir well. 

Give your colander a shake to get rid of any excess liquid then tip the eggplant into the Instant Pot. Stir well to coat them with the spices and sauce.

Add in the 1/2 cup or 120ml water. Set the Instant Pot on manual for 2 minutes and make sure the valve is in the sealed position. When cooking time is up, carefully release the pressure by covering the valve with a cloth towel and turning the valve to vent.

Combine the cold water and cornstarch together in a small bowl to make a slurry. Remove the lid and add the coconut milk into the Instant Pot. Sauté on medium for 2-3 minutes. 

When the sauce just begins to bubble, quickly stir in the cornstarch slurry and cook for a few minutes, until the sauce thickens. 

Serve with a sprinkling more of toasted sesame seeds, cilantro and sliced red chili peppers, if desired. 

Enjoy! 

It's MultiCooker Monday so my friends and I are sharing recipes cooked in small appliances. Many thanks to our host, Wendy of A Day in the Life on the Farm. Check out all the links below. 

• Air Fryer Creamed Corn Vegetable Toast from Sneha's Recipe
• Baby Eggplant Curry (Instant Pot) from Food Lust People Love
• Bacon-Wrapped Scallops in the Air Fryer from Karen's Kitchen Stories 
• Chicken Nuggets in the Air Fryer from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Hearty Instant Pot Beef Stew from Making Miracles
• Instant Pot Cowboy Beans from Hezzi-D's Books and Cooks
• Instant Pot Veggie Dal from Magical Ingredients
• Slow Cooker Hungarian Goulash from Palatable Pastime
• Toaster Oven S'mores from Veggies First Then Dessert

Multicooker Monday is a blogger group created by Sue of Palatable Pastime for all of us who need encouragement to make better use of our small appliances like slow cookers, Instant Pots, Air Fryers, rice cookers and sous vide machines. We get together every third Monday of the month to share our recipes. If you are a food blogger who would like to post with us, please request to join our Facebook group. 

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Caprese Stuffed Roasted Eggplant

Caprese Stuffed Roasted Eggplant is a showstopper of a main course, guaranteed to be loved by vegetarians and omnivores alike. After all, who can resist ripe tomatoes, flavorful basil pesto and melty mozzarella roasted in a hasselback-cut eggplant?

When our elder daughter went off to university, she fell in with a crowd of vegetarians. All really nice kids, I couldn’t help but like them. But that girl had grown up in a home that was definitely meat-centric. How could she live a baconless life! (Was a baconless life even worth living? Turns out, yes.) 

Fortunately she came home that first Christmas with a flexible attitude and a few lovely recipes to teach me. She was happy to eat whatever side dishes I made with dinner and just skip the meat portion. But that began my search for tasty vegetarian recipes we would all enjoy.

On many Sunday dinner tables around the world, including ours, the centerpiece of every meal is something roasted, perhaps beef, chicken, pork or leg of lamb. The vegetables, gravy and bread rolls that accompany the meat are supporting actors, but that big oven-roasted turkey or ham at Christmas time? Those are the superstars.

In vegetarian households some replace the meat with a nut roast or faux meat of some kind, perhaps made out of tofu or seitan. I am not a fan of those though and would rather make a lovely roasted vegetable ratatouille or eggplant Parmigiana. Or skip the showstopper all together and just make several vegetable and pasta dishes with a side salad. Hey, if you really need a centerpiece, how about some flowers?

Or you can try my wonderful Caprese Stuffed Roasted Eggplant. It’s more impressive with one big eggplant. In fact, I almost turned the words around and called it a Caprese Stuffed Eggplant Roast, but you can also use several smaller eggplants if that’s what you have available.

Caprese Stuffed Roasted Eggplant

If you do have one large eggplant, the trick is to roast it in a pan or dish that is just the right size so you can press it down to fit securely. That way, it won’t tip sideways as it bakes. My eggplant is one big guy, almost 10 inches or 25cm long. It weighed 1 lb 9 oz or 710g, before being stuffed. This will serve 3-4 people as a main course, with side dishes.

Ingredients

1 very large eggplant or 2 normal sized ones

2 large beef tomatoes, halved and sliced

4 3⁄4 oz or 135g mozzarella cheese, not soft burrata but the pizza

kind, sliced

3⁄4 cup or 190g pesto 

2-3 tablespoons olive oil

Optional for serving:

Toasted pine nuts, little basil leaves and fresh grated Parmesan

Method

Preheat your oven to 350°F or 180°C.

Slice the eggplant almost all the way through, leaving the slices connected at the bottom. (The easiest way to do this is to place a chopstick or wooden spoon handle on either side of the eggplant. Cut through just until the knife hits the chopstick or spoon. The slices should be around 1/3 in or 7-­8mm thick.

You’ll have to hold the eggplant to support the uncut side, allowing the cuts to open a bit. Put a healthy teaspoon of pesto into each cut then stuff a tomato and mozzarella slice in after, which should push the pesto down into the cut and spread it around. This was awkward to photograph but here’s my best try.

Place the stuffed eggplant in a snug ovenproof baking dish greased with a little olive oil. Push it down so it almost lays flat. It will slump completely flat as it roasts.

Drizzle on a little olive oil and roast in your preheated oven for about an hour or until the eggplant is cooked through and nicely browned. If you are feeling really insecure about its stability, feel free to prop it up on both sides with some foil or even a halved tomato. 

To serve, cut through the bottom of the slices, making sure that each slice has some cheese and tomato on top as you lay them on the dinner plates.

Sprinkle with pine nuts, basil and Parmesan, if desired.

Enjoy!

For many people, eating healthier means eating meat for fewer meals and more vegetables so I figured this dish was perfect for today’s Sunday FunDay theme Welcoming 2021 – Let’s Celebrate and Stay Healthy! Many thanks to our host, Wendy of A Day in the Life on the Farm. Check out all the other lovely dishes we are sharing. 

• Baked Plantains (Plátanos Maduros Horneados) from Sid's Sea Palm Cooking 
• Caprese Stuffed Roasted Eggplant from Food Lust People Love
• Fresh Turmeric & Chia Seed Pudding by Sneha's Recipe
• Healthy Easy Immune Boosting Smoothie from Making Miracles
• Kadha (Spiced Herbal Drink) from Cook with Renu 
• Lemony Chili Roasted Sweet Potato Hummus from Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice
• Misir Wot (Ethiopian Lentils) from Palatable Pastime 
• Roasted Chicken with Greek Salsa by A Day in the Life on the Farm

We are a group of food bloggers who believe that Sunday should be a family fun day, so every Sunday we share recipes that will help you to enjoy your day. If you're a blogger interested in joining us, just visit our Facebook group and request to join.

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Roasted Bruschetta Pattypan Squash

This roasted bruschetta pattypan squash - filled with ripe tomatoes, garlic and basil splashed with balsamic vinegar - makes a delicious and gorgeous main course for any special occasion. Added bonus: Even your vegetarian and vegan family and friends can enjoy it!

I can’t tell you how excited I was when I came across two lovely large pattypan squash grown by a local farmer. I didn’t even know they grew that big! Prior to these, the pattypans of my experience were either tiny baby squash or more typically, they were about four or five inches across. 

Special squash deserves to be made into a special dish. I couldn’t bring myself to cut it up and spoil its beauty. Stuffing seemed to be the best answer. With the tomatoes so wonderful and ripe, I wanted them to shine too. 

Except for the chopped squash, this stuffing is exactly the same topping I put on toasted baguette slices for our family favorite classic bruschetta, hence the title. The wonderful bruschetta filling infuses the squash with great flavor as it roasts to golden perfection. 

Roasted Bruschetta Pattypan Squash

If you can’t find large pattypan squash, use whatever squash is your favorite. Don’t worry about the weight of your tomatoes. A little more or less won’t really matter. 

Ingredients

1 large pattypan or scallop squash (mine weighed 1 lb 9 oz or 650g)

For the filling: 

1 large clove garlic

4 small tomatoes (mine weighted about 9 oz or 260g)

7-8 leaves fresh basil, plus extra for garnish, if desired

2 tablespoons olive oil, plus a little extra for the baking pan

1 tablespoon best quality balsamic vinegar

1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Optional to serve: 

Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Method

Cut the top off of the squash. Use a spoon to scrape the seeds and fibers out of the middle.

Use a sharp knife to trim off the squash to enlarge the cavity. Chop the squash bits you trim off and set them aside. We’ll add these to the bruschetta filling.

Preheat your oven to 350°F or 180°C. Lightly grease a baking pan or iron skillet. 

Remove the cores from the tomatoes and chop them into small pieces. Put a couple of paper towels on your cutting board to catch the juice that will inevitably pour off. Otherwise you’ll find it dripping off the work surface onto your feet. Not that that has ever happened to me. 

Mince the garlic. Roll the basil leaves together and slice them thinly into strips. Then chop the rolled slices roughly. 

Put the tomatoes, chopped squash bits, garlic and basil into a small mixing bowl. 

Add in the olive oil, vinegar, salt and several good grinds of black peppers. Stir well to combine. 

Spoon the filling into the pattypan squash.

Roast in your preheated oven for 55-60 minutes or until the squash is cooked through. 

Remove from the oven. Sprinkle with basil strips. 

Cut the squash into quarters to serve and let your guests add grated Parmesan, as desired. 

Enjoy! 

Happy Sunday FunDay, where we share recipes your families will love every Sunday. Today our theme is Squash it to me! - perfect for the season. Many thanks to our host, Rebekah of Making Miracles. 

• Autumn Harvest Fall Soup by Our Good Life
• Beef and Butternut Squash Chili by Making Miracles
• Couscous-Stuffed Red Kuri Squash by Culinary Adventures with Camilla
• Creamy Pumpkin Soup with Yogurt by Cooking With Carlee
• Curried Squash Soup by Palatable Pastime
• Lal Bhoplyache Bharit /Red Pumpkin Raita by Sneha's Recipe
• Roasted Bruschetta Pattypan Squash by Food Lust People Love
• Seared Scallops with Spaghetti Squash by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Spaghetti Squash 2 Ways by Sid's Sea Palm Cooking

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Cranberry Orange Pistachio (Vegan) Muffins #MuffinMonday

These Cranberry Orange Pistachio Vegan Muffins tick all the right boxes, tender flavorful crumb, sticky fruit, crunchy nuts. They are a wonderful treat for all the family, even the vegans among you since they are dairy-free and eggless.

The thing I love most about these muffins is that despite being vegan-friendly, they don’t have any weird ingredients like ground flax or chia seed, commercial egg replacer or silken tofu. Aside from the non-dairy yogurt, they are made with normal things that most people have on hand already.

I made these muffins as another thank you to one my neighbors for being awesome. The current recipient is a wonderful person who takes great care of her special needs rescue dogs as well as being kind and compassionate to the humans living near her. One neighbor said, “She lives on our block.  She is an angel. Cares about people almost as much as her pups - a wonderful person.” Three others called her their hero but this was my favorite accolade: “I've often thought that when I go to the "rainbow bridge" (hopefully) I wish to come back as one of her pups.”

Fortunately in the shower of compliments, someone also thought to mention that our honoree is vegan. I’d have felt terrible to find out later that she couldn’t eat what I’d baked for her!

Cranberry Orange Pistachio (Vegan) Muffins

Due to an Instacart order that went awry, I just happened to have a container of So Delicious dairy free coconut milk vanilla yogurt in my refrigerator. Use your favorite vanilla yogurt. You can also substitute plain non-dairy yogurt and add 2 teaspoons vanilla extract instead.  This recipe is adapted from one on A Virtual Vegan.

Ingredients
Zest 1 orange
1/2 cup or 120ml orange juice
1 cup or 120g dried cranberries, plus few more for decoration, if desired
1/2 cup or 70g roasted, unsalted pistachio nuts
2 cups or 250g all purpose unbleached flour
1/2 cup or 100g sugar
|2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup or 120ml canola or other light oil
1 cup or 240ml non-dairy vanilla yogurt

Method
Put the cranberries in a small bowl and cover with the orange juice. Leave to soak for at least 30 minutes but you can even do this step the day before. If you do, pop the bowl in the refrigerator overnight. I like to warm the orange juice for about 30 seconds in the microwave because it seems to soften the cranberries more.

When you are ready to continue, preheat your oven to 350°F or 180°C and prepare your 12-cup muffin pan by lining it with paper muffin cups or silicone liners.

Chop the pistachios roughly and separate out a small handful for sprinkling on top of the muffins before baking.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and orange zest.

Drain any orange juice that hasn’t been absorbed by the cranberries into another mixing bowl. (I left mine to soak overnight so the cranberries had turned the orange juice a lovely shade of red.) Add in the oil and non-dairy vanilla yogurt and whisk well to combine.

Tip the drained cranberries into the flour bowl and stir well to coat them. Use a fork or your clean hands, if necessary, to separate them if they are clumping together.

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and fold till almost combined. There should still be some flour showing.

Add in the bigger pile of chopped pistachios and fold to distribute them well throughout the batter.

Divide the batter between the cups in your prepared muffin pan. Top with a sprinkle of the reserved chopped pistachios and one more dried cranberry, if desired.

Bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes or until well risen and golden. Remove from the oven and cool for a few minutes in the pan, then remove the muffins and place on a wire rack to cool

Enjoy!

Happy Muffin Monday! Check out all of the lovely muffins we've baked for you this month:

• Banana Mocha Chip Muffins from Jolene's Recipe Journal
• Cranberry Orange Pistachio (Vegan) Muffins from Food Lust People Love
• Creamed Corn Muffins from Palatable Pastime
• Lemonade Muffins from Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Scotch Bonnet Cornbread Muffins from Passion Kneaded
• Simple Summery Squash Muffins from Culinary Adventures with Camilla
• Soft Blueberry Muffins from Making Miracles
• Sour Cream Rhubarb Muffins with Pecan Streusel from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Sweet Potato Mango Muffins from Zesty South Indian Kitchen

#MuffinMonday is a group of muffin loving bakers who get together once a month to bake muffins. You can see all of our lovely muffins by following our Pinterest board. Updated links for all of our past events and more information about Muffin Monday can be found on our home page.

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Cheesy Grilled Corn Tartlets #BakingBloggers

These cheesy grilled corn tartlets boast grilled fresh corn, melty Saint Félicien cheese and a pretty slice of tomato on top, baked up in a flakey puff pastry crust.

Growing up mostly in the United States, I was spoiled with ample sweet corn every summer. When the first ears would start appearing at farm stands and grocery stores, we would eat it often. Boiled briefly, embuttered, with a sprinkling of salt and black pepper.

What I didn’t realize until I moved overseas was that not every country feels the same way about corn on the cob as we do.

In France and Brazil in particular, corn is cow feed. The varieties they grew, at least when I lived there, were not sweet or juicy. An Australian friend once told me the story of serving up sweet corn on the cob to her French in-laws. They stared at their plates in horror, not even knowing where to start. At first she couldn’t figure out what was wrong. Then, thinking that the cob was the problem, she sliced the niblets off for them, but still they picked at the corn, just to be polite. Mais, non, people don’t eat cow feed! My friend and I had a good laugh but we both agreed that there is nothing better than good sweet corn, eaten right off the cob.

Now that I’m home in Houston again, that tradition continues. Just recently fresh sweet corn was on sale: six ears for only one dollar! After the high prices of imported sweet Australian corn in Dubai, I was in heaven. I bought 36. My husband and I ate sweet corn for days and, I tell you, friends, it was glorious.

Cheesy Grilled Corn Tartlets

Sweet corn is fabulous just on its own but if you want to get fancy, grill it on a grill pan or over a charcoal fire to add a smoky flavor, then cut the niblets off and use it in cheesy grilled corn tartlets. We ate these little beauties as a main course, alongside salad and green beans, but they would also be perfect for a special tea party or brunch.

Ingredients for 6 individual tartlets (4 in or 10cm)
2 small ears corn or sub 3/4 cup or 150g frozen niblets, thawed
150g strong flavored, melty cheese like Saint Félicien or Camembert
Small bunch green onions, finely sliced, plus extra for garnish - optional
1 ripe but firm large tomato
2 eggs
1/4 cup or 60ml cream
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
few grinds fresh black pepper
8 3/4 oz or 250g ready rolled puff pastry sheet

Method
Use a grill pan over a medium high heat to grill your corn on the cob. Turn every couple of minutes until there are some nice charred marks all over the cobs. I used two for the tartlets and ate two with butter. So good!

Set aside to cool.  When cool enough to handle, cut the niblets off of the cobs. Mince your green onions and set aside a small pile for garnish. Cut the rind off of your cheese, if it has one. Then cut the cheese into small pieces. Set aside a small pile for adding to the tartlets just before baking.

Slice your tomato into six circles and lay them out on paper towels to get rid of excess juice.

Preheat your oven to 375°F or 190°C. Prepare your tartlet pans by cutting out little circles of baking parchment and placing them in the bottom of the pans. This will make removing the tartlets much easier.

Unroll your puff pastry sheet and cut it into six equal pieces. Fit the puff pastry into each pan. Press down on the pastry all around the edges and remove the excess.

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk your eggs together with the cream, salt, corn, green onions and cheese. Give the bowl a few good grinds of fresh black pepper.

Put the lined tart pans on a cookie sheet. Use a measuring cup to distribute the filling relatively evenly in the six tartlets. Top each with a slice of tomato, then sprinkle on the reserved cheese.

Pop the tartlets in your preheated oven. Bake for about 20-25 minutes or until pastry and filling are both golden.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool for a few minutes.

Run the point of a knife or wooden skewer around the edges of the tartlets to loosen the crust. Carefully remove the tartlets from the pans.

Sprinkle on the reserved green onions for garnish, if desired, and serve warm or at room temperature.

This month my Baking Blogger friends are all sharing recipes that are perfect for a tea party. You can check them all out in the links below. Many thanks to our host this month, Sue of Palatable Pastime!

• Bacon and Scallion Mini Quiche by Palatable Pastime
• Cheesy Grilled Corn Tartlets by Food Lust People Love
• Choco Orange Brownies by Sneha's Recipe
• Chocolate Coconut Flour Cookies (Gluten Free) by Cook with Renu
• Chocolate Orange Shortbread by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Creamsicle Cupcakes by Karen’s Kitchen Stories
• Fast and Easy Petit Fours by Our Good Life
• Lemon Coconut Squares by Jolene's Recipe Journal
• Mickey Birthday Cake Scones by Simply Inspired Meals
• Millionaire's Shortbread (Caramel Shortbread) by Caroline's Cooking
• Mini Rhubarb Muffins by Home Sweet Homestead
• Napolitaines (Mauritian Sandwich Cookies) by Tara's Multicultural Table
• Ploughman's Scones with Ham Filling by Sid's Sea Palm Cooking
• Southern Cheese Spread Tea Party Biscuits by Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice
• Victoria Sponge Cupcakes by Cookaholic Wife

Baking Bloggers is a friendly group of food bloggers who vote on a shared theme and then post recipes to fit that theme one the second Monday of each month. If you are a food blogger interested in joining in, inquire at our Baking Bloggers Facebook group. We'd be honored if you would join us in our baking adventures.

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Cheesy Asparagus Potato Tart #FoodieExtravaganza

This cheesy asparagus potato tart takes three of my favorite things – crisp puff pastry, cheesy mashed potatoes made with creamy yogurt, and fresh asparagus – and turns them into so much more than the sum of three parts.

I’ve been making variations on this recipe since Jamie Oliver’s Jamie at Home* was first published in the UK, circa 2008. If I remember correctly, his tart calls for cream and is baked up in a shortcrust. Or  maybe phyllo pastry. Possibly it had different cheeses. It’s been a long time!

But like any good quiche recipe, this cheesy asparagus potato tart can also be adapted to use what you have on hand. As long as there are potatoes and cheese, it’s all good. And I prefer yogurt or sour cream in place of the rich cream anyway. Those add a little welcome tang.

Cheesy Asparagus Potato Tart

Adapted from Jamie at Home* this cheesy asparagus potato tart has been a family favorite for years with its puff pastry crust, savory potato filling and fresh asparagus topping.

If you can’t find nice asparagus in your local market, substitute green beans, preferable those fine green beans they call haricots verts très fine in France. I’ve used them instead of asparagus a couple of times and the tart is just as pretty and still fabulously tasty. Failing that, use normal green beans and cut them on an angle before blanching.

Ingredients
1 1/2 lbs or 675g potatoes
Sea salt 1/2 lb or 225g asparagus spears
1 round pre-rolled puff pastry sheet (about 11 1⁄4 oz or 320g)
5 1/2 oz or 155g freshly grated extra sharp cheddar
3 large eggs
1 cup or 240g whole fat plain yogurt, cold
Freshly ground black pepper

Method
Bring a pot of water to the boil and add a teaspoon of fine sea salt. Fill a bowl with cold water and some ice and set aside. Cut the woody ends off of the asparagus with a sharp knife and pop them into the boiling water and set a timer for 3 or 4 minutes. Three if the asparagus are thin ones, four if they are thicker.

Peel your potatoes and cut them into chunks.

When the time goes off, remove the asparagus from the pot with a slotted spoon and put them in a colander. Rinse them with cool tap water then tip them into the ice water bowl. Once they are well chilled, drain and dry the asparagus on a clean towel or paper towels.

Gently lower your potatoes into the pot of salted water and bring it back to a low boil. Cook the potatoes for about 15 minutes or until tender.

Preheat your oven to 400°F or 200°C and line the bottom of your 9 in or 23cm tart pan with a circle of baking parchment. Unroll your puff pastry and line the tart pan with it. Put the tart pan in the refrigerator to chill until you are ready to fill it.

When the potatoes are done, mash them until they are relatively lump-free. Fold in the cold yogurt and stir till combined.

Now add in the cheese and stir well again. Taste the potatoes and sprinkle on a little more salt if needed, along with a few generous grinds of fresh black pepper. I usually add about a 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt but if your cheese is pretty salty, that might not be necessary.

By this time your potatoes should have cooled off considerably from all the additions and the stirring. We don’t want them to be so hot because then they would cook the eggs on contact. If they are just warm, proceed. Otherwise stir a few more times to help them cool.

Add the eggs one at time, stirring till well combined with each addition.

Spoon the filling into the chilled puff pastry crust and smooth out the top.

Cover the top of the cheesy potato filling with the blanched asparagus. Fold the edge of the crust under itself, if there is any hanging out.

If your tart pan has a removable bottom, put the tart pan on larger pan and put them both into the oven. If not, put the tart pan straight into the preheated oven. I like to use one with a removable bottom because it's prettier on the serving platter without the pan.

Turn the oven down to 375°F or 190°C. Bake the tart for about 30-35 minutes or until the crust is puffy and golden and the center is just set. A tiny wiggle is okay as that will set when it cools.

Leave to rest on a wire rack for about 10-15 minutes before cutting and serving. Use a serrated knife or even some kitchen scissors to cut through the asparagus on top before cutting down through the tart below. A dull knife will just push the asparagus into the cheesy potato filling.

This cheesy asparagus potato tart can also be served at room temperature.

Enjoy!

This month my Foodie Extravaganza group is sharing recipes with pastry. Many thanks to our host, Caroline from Caroline's Cooking for the theme and her behind the scenes work. Check out all the great recipes below:

• Cheesy Asparagus Potato Tart by Food Lust People Love
• Cornish-Style Steak Pasties by Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Garlic Herb Chicken in Puff Pastry by A Day in the Life on the Farm. 
• Kolache Cookies by Caroline's Cooking
• Puff Pastry Apple Cranberry Strudel by Veggie Fun Kitchen
• Raspberry Pistachio Palmiers by Palatable Pastime

Foodie Extravaganza celebrates obscure food holidays by posting delicious recipes your family will love. Posting day is always the first Wednesday of each month. If you are a blogger and would like to join our group and blog along with us, come join our Facebook page Foodie Extravaganza. We would love to have you! If you're a home cook looking for tasty recipes, check out our Foodie Extravaganza Pinterest Board!

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*Amazon affiliate link - If you buy Jamie at Home by following this link, I earn a very small percentage, at no extra cost to you.