Welcome to this first edition of “Cooking like a nerd”. If, like me, you don’t have time to cook and are merely unable to make something without burning it, I think this post will be some help.
As we need to feed ourselves once in a while, us, Geeks, Nerds, Designers, and other species their mums didn’t teach about the basics of social relationships and cooking, we have to find recipes that can fit our overcrowded schedules. We must be able to cook it in 5 minutes,  take it at work, and eat the left-overs after a party, at 4 in the morning — wathever is in our fridge at the moment. The first recipe that comes to my mind is : the savoury tart!

Budget : $
Difficulty : ♦ (Beginner cook)
Categories : Vegetably challenged, Cheap’n'Easy, Empty fridge.
Caution : this is a non-vegan recipe, and contains eggs & milk.

Ingredients :
The basics : Puff or short pastry (Home or ready-made), 3 eggs, some milk, salt, black pepper, nutmegs, and mustard.
The filling : Any vegetables to convenience (leeks, onions, spinach, tomatoes, whatever is in your fridge.) and for a non-veggie version, thuna or salmon, sliced bacon, cheese…

The whole idea is to get a “basic” tart that you can customize any time.
So first of all, wash and slice your vegetables. If you’re a designer, you’ll probably have a thing for colors, so try to make a nice colorfoul mix (makes things funnier). For this one, I’ll use leeks, onions, spinach and mushrooms. Slice them in tiny bits, and brown them a bit in a frying pan. (I use grape seed oil, but if you prefer olive oil, go for it!). If you use a protein source cook it now.

Tips: Don’t overcook the spinach. Fresh spinach have a strong taste that gets really bland when overcooked. Just let them cook for a minute or two.
If you use juicy vegetables such as tomatoes, try to get ride of the juice before getting it on the pastry, as a damp tart is not that fun.
When cooked, get them on the side.

Get your oven on, to let it get hot.
Prepare the tart pastry: get it in a dish, and pick some small holes with a fork in there. Now take your mustard, and spread the pastry with it — don’t be shy, it’ll give the whole thing it’s tasty side.
In a large bowl, get your 3 eggs, a splash of milk, pepper, salt, and a pinch of nutmegs. Other spices are welcome, regarding the nature of your filling. Whisk the little bastard (he likes that anyway) until smooth. I like to put my old cheese in the mix for the taste (I often have cheese in my fridge that has come close to life. I prefer to know it’s dead before eating it anyway).

Now put your vegetables on the tart pastry, and pour your egg mix ton top. Decorate to liking.
Get in the oven for 20 good minutes, medium hotness.
Eat it hot or cold, with a salad, and a bottle of San Pellegrino (sparkling water is chic I heard, and I can’t suggest a wine for work-lunch anyway).
A french variant involves only eggs, crême fraîche, and sliced bacon as a filling. Say Hello to the quiche lorraine!

Bon appétit, and enjoy!
Love,
Zélia.