With Sweet Potato Crust
After two tumultuous attempts at making Molten Puddings, I had 6 egg whites leftover and needed to tackle some meal prep. This tart is a product of raiding my refrigerator and pantry because 1) the darn white stuff that incessantly keeps falling from the sky and 2) I am holding onto my parking spot tighter than a man in heat grabbing himself. But I digress...I too have to practice some self restraint when it comes to going to the grocery store when an idea starts ricocheting around in my noggin.
So with the egg whites, a couple sweet potatoes, an onion, a jar of pesto, some oat milk, a sprinkling of Parmigiano-Reggiano, and a bag of Brussels sprouts unburied from the back of my refrigerator, we have ourselves a light and flavorful tart to be enjoyed for lunches throughout the week. I need to create more Food Network Chopped challenges like this for myself to use older ingredients before buying new. There are some completely forgotten gems waiting for their chance to be used in future recipes!
INGREDIENTS
CRUST: 2 large sweet potatoes, peeled & grated
1 tbsp Italian seasoning
½ tsp dried basil
½ tsp black pepper
¼ tsp garlic powder
1 tsp sea salt
¼ tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
1 large egg
FILLING: 16 oz bag fresh Brussels sprouts
1 sweet onion, sliced into ¼-inch rounds
6 egg whites
1 cup plant-based milk, room temperature
2 tbsp pesto sauce
5 tbsp Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated & divided
1 tsp Italian seasoning
¼ tsp garlic powder
½ tsp sea salt
1 tsp black pepper
¼ tsp red pepper flakes, optional
1 roma tomato
Pesto sauce for garnish
METHOD
CRUST:
Set oven rack in the middle level. Preheat oven to 450°F.
In small batches, place the grated sweet potato in the middle of a large piece of cheesecloth. Gather the four corners of the cheesecloth and squeeze as much of the moisture out of the sweet potatoes as possible.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg, Italian seasoning, basil, black pepper, garlic powder, salt, and red pepper flakes. Add the sweet potatoes and mix until well combined.
Press the sweet potato mixture into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch tart pan forming about a ¼-inch layer.
Place the pan on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for about 15 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool in the tart pan. Set aside.
FILLING:
Heat oven to 325°F.
In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the egg whites, milk, and pesto sauce. Add 3 tbsp Parmigiano-Reggiano, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Mix to combine. Set aside.
Trim the stems off the Brussels sprouts. Then using a mandolin or a sharp knife, thinly slice about 8 to 10 Brussels sprouts lengthwise. Separate the large middle slices from the end pieces and set aside to use on top of the tart.
Coarsely chop the remaining Brussels sprouts and the end pieces and add them to the egg mixture. Mix to combine.
Using a mandolin or sharp knife, thinly slice the onion into ¼-inch rounds. Line the bottom of the tart crust with a single layer of onion.
Using a ladle, add the egg and Brussels sprout mixture overtop of the onions. Fill until just below the edge of the crust. Sprinkle the remaining 2 tbsp of Parmigiano-Reggiano on top.
Thinly slice the tomato into ¼-inch rounds. Slice all but one of the rounds in half. Place the tomato round in the center on top of the filling. From the center in concentric circles, lay the sliced Brussels sprouts and tomatoes careful not to submerge them in the filling.
Bake for 35-40 minutes until the egg is set and not jiggly.
Remove from heat and immediately garnish the top with pesto sauce in concentric circles between the Brussels sprouts and tomatoes.
Sprinkle with additional Parmigiano-Reggiano, if desired, and enjoy.
