Colors of Christmas: Pesto & Tomato Tarts

We are two-thirds of the way done with our Christmas celebrations. We started with a family dinner on Christmas Eve-Eve, followed by our traditional gathering on Christmas Eve. Now I am prepping to host Christmas dinner at my house. It has been wonderful spending time with family, but as the way things go with winter weather and little ones, you never know what to expect!

I was so excited to receive two presents (one for Christmas; one for my birthday) that will aid me in my kitchen adventures. It took me fewer than twenty-four hours to break out my new Le Creuset 5-Quart Braiser, and I can’t wait to make my next batch of soup to use my new immersion blender.


In keeping with the holiday spirit, I have an hors d'oeuvre that is adorned with bright green and red – perfect for a Christmas gathering!

Pesto & Tomato Tarts
Ingredients
2 (9-inch) refrigerated pie crusts
½ cup pesto (can use store-bought)
4 Roma tomatoes, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons fresh basil, thinly sliced

Directions
Preheat oven to 425°F.

Lay pie crusts on a cutting board. Using a cookie cutter (approximately 1-1 ½ inch in diameter), cut out pieces from pie crusts. Arrange on a large baking sheet and bake for 6 minutes, until lightly golden.

Allow tarts to cool. Spread ½ teaspoon of pesto on each tart, and top with 1 slice of tomato. Garnish each tart with sliced basil and serve immediately.

Holiday Hors d'oeuvre: Harvest Sweet Potato Pecan Pie Tarts

I promised myself I would post these before the holidays. If you are looking for something for your guests to nibble on before Thanksgiving dinner is ready – these are it! They are also a perfect hors d’oeuvre for any fall or winter gathering, especially for a holiday party. I think it was my sister who first introduced our family to this recipe several years ago, and it quickly became a permanent fixture for our family holiday gatherings.

The recipe calls for cooked sweet potato. I like to roast mine in the oven. Not only does roasting the sweet potato caramelize it, but it also sends a nice aroma throughout your house. (Prick the sweet potatoes with a knife in several places and bake at 400°F in a small baking pan until very tender, about 1 to 1 ½ hours.) If you’re pressed for time, you could always cook it in the microwave. (Pierce each sweet potato a few times with a fork, place in a pie plate with two tablespoons of water, cover loosely with wax paper, and microwave on high for 5 minutes or until tender.) They are so good!

Harvest Sweet Potato Pecan Pie Tarts
(From Cooking Light, November, 2005)
Ingredients
1 cup mashed cooked sweet potato
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup chopped toasted pecans
1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon dark corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg white
2 (2.1-ounce) packages mini phyllo shells (such as Athens)

Directions
Preheat oven to 350°F.

Combine sweet potato, granulated sugar, cinnamon, and salt, stirring well.

Combine pecans, brown sugar, syrup, vanilla, and egg white, stirring well.

Spoon about 1 teaspoon sweet potato mixture into each phyllo shell, spreading to edges. Spoon about 1/2 teaspoon pecan mixture over sweet potato mixture. Place filled shells on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 350°F for 20 minutes. Cool completely on a wire rack.