Beetroot and Shallot Tart

Instructions

1. Pre heat the oven to 180°C.
2. Rinse the raw beetroot under water and wrap in foil, place in the oven until tender, depending on size this could take between 30-60 minutes. If using ready cooked you can skip this.
3. Start with your pastry, combine the flour, salt, thyme in a large bowl, and add the butter in small chunks. With your hands rub the butter and flour to form bread crumbs. This is done by holding your hands with the palms facing up and rubbing the mixture between your fingers, starting from the little finger to the thumbs.
4. Once it resemble crumbs add the water a tbsp. at a time, you may only need two. Use a knife to combine.
5. Bring the pastry together in a ball with your hands and turn out, you do not want to overwork the pastry, handle as little as possible. Form it into a large disc, wrap in cling film and place in the fridge.
6. Add the tofu, milk, salt, pepper, kala namak, turmeric, nutritional yeast to a high powered blender and blitz until silky smooth. Set aside.
7. Take your pastry out of the fridge and place between two sheets of baking parchment, roll out into a circle about the thickness of a pound coin.
8. Very lightly grease a 25cm tart tin and remove the top layer of parchment, carefully lay your pastry in. Remove the other parchment layer and push down into the edges, trim but leave a little excess for shrinkage, prick the base a few times with a fork.
9. Place the parchment back into the lined case and fill with baking beans, bake in the oven for 20 minutes, remove the beans and parchment and place back into the oven for a further 5-10 minutes be careful the pastry does not catch. Remove from the oven and set aside.
10. Meanwhile add the shallots to a lined baking tray and drizzle with a little oil and season, place in the oven whilst the pastry is baking for about 15-20minutes. Remove from the oven once done and set aside, you are looking for the shallots to be soft and lightly golden.
11. Once your beetroot is cooked remove from the oven and allow to cool until you’re able to handle it. Remove the foil and push off the skins. Cut into small wedges.
12. When all your elements are ready, fill your tart with the tofu filling, add your beetroot and shallots, sprinkle with the leaves from a couple of thyme sprigs and place in the oven for about 25-30 minutes until it has risen slightly and turning golden.
13. Remove from the oven brush with a little olive oil and sprinkle with pine nuts, return to the oven for 5-10 minutes.
14. When it‘s ready remove from the oven and scatter with some more fresh thyme leaves.
15. Serve with a green salad