This is an ultra-quick and tasty vegan appetizer or side dish that was inspired by that non-vegan hot artichoke dip beloved of so many. Tofu provides the creamy base and controls the calorie count while nutritional yeast imparts a cheesy flavor and lemon juice a bit of brightness. This spread has many uses such as a filling for this simple tarte which makes good use of prepared puff pastry sheets–what a happy day it was when I discovered that Pepperidge Farm’s puff pastry is vegan! But try the spread also as a filling for stuffed baked mushrooms or stuffed baked peppers. See my recipe for the latter. Just search “Vegan Baked Stuffed Bell Peppers with Lemon-Artichoke Filling” on this blog.

1 sheet of Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry (remove from box and bag and thaw for about 40 minutes, covered, on the counter top)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, cut into small-medium dice
3-4 large cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
Coarse sea or kosher salt to taste
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 box Silken firm tofu
juice of one-half to a whole small-medium lemon (start with one-half)

2-4 tablespoons nutritional yeast
1 can artichoke hearts, drained (or 8 frozen-thawed or fresh artichoke hearts)
1/2-1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves to taste
a pinch of paprika or more to taste

Garnish: thyme leaves removed from the stems, paprika and lemon slices

Make crust: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Oil a baking sheet or line it with Silpat. Carefully unfold the pastry onto the baking sheet. With a knife, gently score a line about one-half inch from the edge of the crust all the way around, making sure not to cut all the way through the dough. Using a fork, generously but gently prick inside the scored line. Place baking sheet on the center rack of your oven and bake for approximately 20 minutes (check after 15) until golden brown and very puffed. After crust has baked, remove from oven, reduce temperature to 350 degrees, and use the back of a spoon to gently crush down the puffed area inside the scored lines leaving a raised half-inch rim all the way around.

While crust bakes, make filling: In a large cast iron skillet over medium-high, heat olive oil to shimmering. Add onion and saute, stirring frequently, until softened. Add garlic and a pinch of salt and pepper and continue sauteing and stirring until mixture is golden brown. I like to add just a little water to speed up the process and remove caramelized bits from the bottom of the pan. Place tofu in the bowl of food processor fitted with a metal blade and process with lemon juice and nutritional yeast until smooth. Add remaining filling ingredients and pulse until artichokes are chopped and all ingredients are well combined. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.

Fill crust: Spread crust with filling; it will make a thin layer. Bake for about 10 minutes or until heated through. Slide tarts onto platters and cut into as few as 4 or as many as 9 squares each. Garnish with a sprinkling of thyme leaves and paprika plus lemon slices.

Note: If not using crust immediately, remove from oven to a wire rack to cool. Wrap and store at room temperature. Keeps for quite a long time. If starting recipe with a pre-baked crust, heat filled shell in oven for 20 minutes instead of 10.