Kosher Connection "Mini" Link Up!

These past few weeks, when it comes to cooking, the quicker, easier and smaller the better! This link up could not have come at a better time! I haven't been feeling my best lately and meals have turned into somewhat of a competition with myself. Who will give in first, me or the time it takes to prepare/ bake a dish? I can't complain though, M has been beyond incredible picking up (and rocking!) what I haven't been able to recently! But there's very little that can keep me out of the kitchen! The withdrawal from the mixer and new bread machine (more to come on that very soon!!) is just too much.

So back to this fantastic mini idea! Mini meals have been getting me through. The smaller and easier to eat the better. And given that my appetite has decided to make a comeback, I've been looking for smaller yet still substantial options. So what's the first thing I look to when I want something quick, easy and filling? My best friend, pastry dough.

I'm pretty sure pastry dough is magical. It takes all the work out of prep for you, makes food look presentable with minimal effort, is versatile enough that it can be used anywhere from breakfast to dessert to classic appetizers and opens the door to so many creative possibilities. I love it. My freezer ALWAYS has a sure supply ready to go.

And here's a fun fact about this itsy bitsy balebusta... I get all weird every time I pass pastry dough in the grocery store. I start to panic trying to remember how many packages I have at home... And before you know it I have 2 in the cart and I'm feeling better about life. Then I get home unload the groceries only to have to make room in my freezer for the pastry dough next to the 3 full packages sitting there from previous trips.  I used to do this with non-dairy whip topping as well until M put a stop to that (I almost needed a whole freezer for those little containers...). Moral of the story? Do inventory before heading to the grocery store... Or just avoid the frozen section altogether...

You're still here right? Beyond all this crazy is a really great recipe, I promise!

So, remember back a few months ago I experimented with mini pies (actually ohmygosh it's already been SEVEN months since summer?! Where is time goingggg?). Well I decided to use what I learned from that experience and apply it to these quiches. The muffin tray coupled with the pastry dough and the one bowl for prep, basically requires no effort on your part besides very minor clean up and being patient enough to wait to cool off, rather than eating them directly out of the oven!

These are quite substantial. The tuna provides a heavy filling and the subtle flavors of the hummus, garlic powder and paprika compliment it perfectly. The pareve cream additions, help to add a smooth consistency and bind it all together seamlessly. The pastry dough remains flakey and serves as the ideal bed for the mixture! These would be great served individually for the fish course on Shabbat or as appetizers before a get together (or if you're me, they're pretty fantastic at about 4pm on a Sunday when you're looking for something in the kitchen and can't make up your mind about what you want to eat...).

I hope you enjoy and come back soon for cookbook reviews, a new addition to the itsy bitsy balebusta kitchen (in the form of a bread machine!) and more! Be sure to check out the other mini recipes in this month's Kosher Connection link up. You can find the links below!

Enjoy!

Mini Tuna Quiches
Yields 5-7 mini quiches

250 grams pastry dough* (about half a package)
1 can of tuna
2 tsp of mayonnaise
1 tsp pareve sour cream
1 tsp pareve cream cheese
1 tsp hummus
dash of garlic powder
dash of paprika
1 egg (beaten)
sesame seeds for garnish
sliced, pitted olives for garnish

Prepare the muffin tray (I used a vegetable oil spray and liberally sprayed each tin).
Heat the oven to 350 degrees F
Roll out the puff pastry dough to half an inch thick, and cut it into 5 - 7 squares (they don't need to be even or neat).
Press each square into a muffin tin.
Brush with egg.
In a medium sized bowl combine the tuna, mayonnaise, sour cream, cream cheese and hummus. Stir to combine.
Sprinkle the garlic powder and paprika overtop. Mix.
Scoop about 2 tablespoons of the mixture into each prepared puff pastry cup.
Brush the top of the mixture with beaten egg.
Sprinkle sesame seeds, overtop.
Add a few sliced olives to the center of each cup.
Bake at 350 F for 25-30 minutes.
Allow to cool for 10 minutes before removing from tin. If required use a dull knife to loosen the pastry dough so that it pops out (I was able to just pick each one out without any prep!).

*if you feel so inclined, Joy of Kosher has a fantastic puff pastry dough recipe that you can make from scratch! It can be found here: Joy of Kosher: Make Your Own Puff Pastry