CARAMELIZED ONION TARTLETS

Happy Fool’s Day! I am not a great prankster- though I have done my share of pranks on people- some really good ones. There’s one in particular, where I pulled a prank on my friend G- though looking back at it now- it was not a good thing playing with her feelings like that. Sorry G!

Today I thought I would make a fool out of V- and it did work for a few minutes but then he realised the date and blew my cover! And that’s it- somehow my brains nor my mom’s have been able to come up with something believable to fool people. I blame it on the massage I went for in the morning (like a true capricorn girl, there’s always something I can put blame on). The massage has left me too relaxed to get those brain cells to work. What’s with the massage, you ask? Well, since I’m in Kerala- the land of ayurvedic massages- I am on a week long detoxification program- 7 days of early morning(!) hour long massages!! This is what vacations are all about!!:)

My mom is also undergoing a treatment at the same place. Of course her reasons are different. She has osteo-arthiritis and the massage center has a course where they use certain techniques that help cases like her’s. Its a 3 week long course where in the first week certain special herbs, put in a potli (a small sack), are dipped in hot oil and then rubbed all over the body. The second week they put some kind of medicinal rice in the potli and dipped in oil, they rub it on the whole body. The third week is a massage with  an ayurvedic oil. Along side,  some ayurvedic medicines are given to cleanse the internal system. An old lady does the massage and oh boy she has some strength! My mom’s massage is more gentle, considering her condition- but mine wasn’t- nonetheless it felt nice!

I did get to some baking yesterday. My mom had some friends of hers coming home for tea in the evening and thought it would be the perfect time to make something. So I baked a lemon pound cake, some mocha chocolate chip cookies and these caramelized onion tartlets.

The tartlet shells are such a breeze to make and they are made with just one ingredient- well make that two if you count the 1 tablespoon butter. No! it’s not an april fool day’s joke- its actually true. The tart shells are made of rolled out bread slices. Add any filling to it and you have a great snack on your hand to serve for your guests or well, to eat it on your own!

CARAMELIZED ONION TARTLETS

Adapted from Reader’s Digest’s Diabetics Cookbook

makes 20 tartlets

Ingredients

For the tartlets:

• 20 thin slices white bread
• 2 tbsp butter, melted

For the filling:

• 1 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
• 3 medium sized onions, thinly sliced
• 200 gms mushrooms, thinly sliced
• 4 tbsp sundried tomato pesto (I used store bought)
• salt and pepper
• 1/4 cup walnut pieces (I forgot to add them, but would definitely recommend that you do add after toasting them in the oven for 10 minutes)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 230 C.
2. Cut each bread slice into a disc using a cutter that is 7.5cm in diameter. Flatten each disc with a rolling pin. And butter botth sides with the melted butter.
3. Use tart tins or, like me, you could use muffin pans that have been greased with oil. Curve the edges of each disc to make scalloped edges.Bake for 8-10 minutes. Set aside in a warm place until ready to fill.
4. Heat oil in a heavy based frying pan with a well fitting lid. Add the onions and stir well. Cover with the lid and cook on low heat for 20 minutes, until onions are very soft.
5. Remove lid, turn up the heat and add the mushrooms. Cook rapidly, storring often, until onions have turned a dark golden brown. Remove from heat. Add the pesto and salt and pepper.
6. Divide the filling among the croustades, then scatter the walnut pieces over the top. Add some grated parmesan if you like. Serve hot.

NOTE: These can be made ahead of time. Just keep the bread cases in an airtight tine. Cool the filling and keep in regrigerator, then reheat just before filling the bread cases. In case the cases become soggy, just put them in the oven at 250 C (on toast setting, if you have the option) for 5-8 minutes, making sure you don’t burn them