Mini low carb cauliflower spinach tarts

Mini low carb cauliflower spinach tarts is my latest experiment. I’m searching for alternative ways to eat my favorite foods with less carbohydrates (white rice, bread, pasta, etc.). Searching the web for low-carb recipes, it’s filled with cauliflowers; cauliflower rice, cauliflower pizza crust, cauliflower this and that, so I’ve decided to try my luck at mini spinach tarts with a crust of cauliflower, of course… Since it works apparently well as a pizza base, it should work fine for mini tarts as well… and it did! The texture isn’t the one of a crispy flaky pastry but it does hold well the tarts, even if it’s filled with a moist filling. I was surprised by the result, it’s true; cauliflower is a great alternative to carbs filled ingredients like white flour.

Those mini tarts can be a low-carb diet lunch, dinner, snack or even appetizer. There is still some carbs in it, although the amount is relatively low, I’ve used a bit of integral flour to make the cauliflower base and bechamel filling but I presume you could exchange it for a lower carb flour like flax seed flour.

You will need for this recipe a silicone muffin mold, (I can not guaranty the greased metal mold will function for this recipe, since the cauliflower base isn’t holding up too tight). Also, the filling will be quite soft, coming out from the oven, but just wait a 10 minutes, it should hold better.Eat those mini tarts accompanied with a nice green salad for dinner, or use it as a side dish. Also, it makes a great lunch for the next day.

Let’s try those low carb bites!

Mini low carb cauliflower spinach tarts

Makes 12 mini tarts

Ingredients

• 1/2 a cauliflower
• 30g butter
• 120g integral flour (30g for the bechamel + 90 g for the cauliflower base)
• 120ml of cold milk
• 250g of spinach chopped
• 1/2 onion finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove 
• 2 eggs (separate one yolk)
• nutmeg
• parmesan for topping
• pinenut for topping
• salt and pepper

Directions

1. Start by blending the cauliflower to a sand texture
2. In a bowl add the cauliflower, the 2 eggs (reserve a yolk for later), the 90g of integral flour (or flax seed flour), salt and pepper
3. Mix well
4. In a silicon muffin mold,
   (not sure it’s going to work with a greased mold) press down the cauliflower base in each hole (check the picture)
5. In a pan add the onion and soften them, medium low heat, in olive oil or butter
6. When soft, add the garlic and spinach bit by bit until it melt all down
7. Once the spinach is all in, make a well, add the butter and 30g of integral flour
8. Let cook the flour into the butter, while mixing, for a minute or 2, medium high heat
9. Add the cold milk, nutmeg, salt and pepper to the mix
10. Turn it until it becomes thick
11. Take off the fire (*at this point you can add some parmesan cheese extra in the filling) and let cool
12. When cooled (3 -4 minutes) add the yolk and mix
13. Fill up the cauliflower base with the filling
14. Top with a bit of parmesan and pine nuts
15. Cook in the lower level of the oven at 180°C (350F) for 20 minutes until the cauliflower turn light brown on top
16. Let the tarts cool, 10 minutes, before taking out from the mold and serving

Serve with a nice green salad. Enjoy!