French Potato Tart

We had an amazing Christmas last year! Shane, Max and I ended up hosting my Mum and sisters at our house for a delicious lunch, my sister Meredith did an amazing ham and I did desserts and side dishes. One of the side dishes was this potato tart, it was inspired by a recipe in the Christmas edition of Food Magazine – Meredith and I had a great time scouring magazines for food ideas. I changed it up a bit to suit our tastes and it was a hit, easy and delicious! It is the perfect addition to your table next time you are entertaining guests.

Ingredients:
2 sheets flaky puff pastry, thawed
1 egg lightly beaten
2-3 medium-large sized potatoes, thinly sliced
150 grams of spreadable cream cheese
2 sprigs of fresh rosemary, finely cut
1/2 cup grated cheese
A drizzle of olive oil
shavings of parmesan to sprinkle on top
salt and pepper to season

Method:
Pre-heat your oven to 180°C and line a baking tray with wax paper.
Place pastry sheets on top, overlapping each other in the middle , seal with beaten egg. Fold all sides in 1cm and brush with egg and press with a fork to seal. Prick the base all over with a fork and press the fork, this will stop the pastry from rising.
Spread the cream cheese all over the base, sprinkle with half the rosemary and salt and pepper.
Place potatoes in a single layer so that they just overlap. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle the grated cheese and remaining rosemary, season with salt and pepper.
Bake for 30-35 minutes until pastry is puffed and golden and the potatoes are cooked.
To serve cut into 8 large squares and sprinkle shaving of parmesan.

Lunchbox Bakes - Potato, Bacon and Cheese Frittata

I whipped this up for lunch today for lunch with a friend, it is quick, easy, delicious and perfect as a hot lunch now the cold weather is starting to settle in.

Ingredients:
2 large potatoes, peeled and quartered
6-8 strips of streaky bacon chopped into small pieces
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 tablespoons of chives finely chopped
6 eggs
2 tablespoons cream or full fat milk
100 grams Cheddar cheese, grated
Salt and pepper to season

Method:
Cook the potatoes in boiling salted water for 20 to 25 minutes or until cooked through. Drain and leave to cool slightly before cutting into cubes. (I did this the night before to make things quicker at lunch time).
Pre-heat your oven grill to 180°C.
Heat a large non-stick frying pan. Pour olive oil into pan. Fry the bacon until golden.
Add the diced potatoes and cook for a few minutes over a medium heat.
Beat the eggs, adding half the Cheddar and half the chives. Season with the salt and pepper.
Pour the eggs over the bacon and potatoes. Stir gently in the pan for a few minutes, allowing the frittata to cook over a medium-low heat until it begins to set, leaving a moist surface.
Sprinkle the remaining chives and Cheddar on top and warm under the grill until the top has set and the cheese melted.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before cutting the frittata into wedges to serve.