Need savory suggestions to use up left-over phyllo

[lsdesign]

You can't waste good phyllo! Therefore I need recipes that would use it as a main course even if it is appetizer I'd serve it that way to use it up. Preferrably veggie or maybe I could use soy crumbles in place of whatever. DH is on his Advent-Orthodox fast and I am scrammbling to fill the evening meals with veggie entrees. My kingdom for a chicken breast about now.......we try to do this with him.

[jphilg]

I wrap veggie fillings in phyllo all the time....

the classic, of course, is spinach/feta. Wilt some spinach with garlic and sauted onions (or use frozen...it really doesn't matter in this recipe), crumble in a bunch of feta, one beaten egg (leave this out if eggs are not part of the plan) and some crused red pepper and salt to taste. Either make spinach triangles, or larger pastries. Bake at 350 until brown.

Another filling I have used is a "clean out the veggie box" filling: grated carrots, grated zucchini, thinly sliced napa cabbage, thinly sliced red or yellow peppers, and minced mushrooms. Saute all of this with onions and garlic, season to taste (you can do an asian flavor with soy, ginger, and sesame oil, or a more Mediteranean thing with basil, marjorum, salt and pepper) and then cool slightly. As it cools, liquid will emerge from the cooked veggies, which you need to drain if you want crisp phyllo packets. When cool, add 2 beaten egg whites, and fold into pyllo packets.
Bake.


Finally, I would encourge you to look at any of the many calzone/burek type things in cookbooks....any fillign for a calzone could be adapted (by draining or thickening any liquid component) to a phyllo packet. Check out Enchanted Broccoli Forest's Zucchini Mozzorella filling....I've done that in phyllo before, and YUM! But not so light.

Jen

[Jasmine-Rose]

Hi Lyn,

When I saw your post I immediately thought of this recipe. I haven't tried it but I want to, and it got good reviews on the bb.

- E.




MUSHROOM AND CARAMELIZED SHALLOT STRUDEL
(makes two strudels)

1 t olive oil
1 1/2 c sliced shallots
1/8 t sugar
1 T water
4 (8-oz) packages pre-sliced mushrooms
2 T dry Marsala or Madeira
2/3 c low-fat sour cream
1/4 c chopped fresh parsely
1/2 t salt
1/2 t minced fresh or 1/4 t dried thyme
1/4 t freshly ground pepper
8 sheets frozen phyllo dough, thawed
Cooking spray
1/3 c dried breadcrumbs, divided
1 T butter, melted

1. preheat oven to 400.
2. heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add shallots and sugar, cook for 2 minutes, stirring
constantly. Sprinkle with water, civer, reduce heat to low, and cook for 10 minutes, stirring
occasionally until shallots are soft. Add mushrooms, cook, uncovered, over med-high heat 20 minutes,
or until liquid evaporates, sitting occasionally. Add Marsala, cook 1 minute. Remove from heat and
cool. Stir in sour cream, parsley, salt, thyme, and pepper.
3. place 1 phyllo sheet on a large cutting board or work surface (cover remaining dough to keep from
drying), and lightly coat with cooking spray. Sprinkle with about 2 teaspoons breadcrumbs. Repeat the
layers with three more sheets (4 total). Spoon 1/2 of the mushroom mixture along 1 long edge of
phyllo, leaving a 1-inch border. Starting at the long edge with the 1-inch border, roll up jelly roll
fashion. Place strudel, seam down, on a baking sheet covered with cooking spray. tuck ends under .
repeat with remaining dough and mushroom mixture. Brush strudels with butter. Bake at 400 for 20
minutes, let stand for 5 minutes. Cut each strudel into 4 slices.

[emilycat]

Lyn, I've been trying to come up with the same thing to use up the rest of my phyllo -- I finally found the whole wheat kind!
Here are a few from Fields of Greens -- let me know if you'd like any of the recipes.
Filo Turnovers with Mushrooms and Pine Nuts
Filo Turnovers with Spinach, Feta Cheese and Rosemary
Mushroom-Leek Filo with Gruyere and Thyme
Filo with Spinach, Mushrooms, Goat Cheese and Pine Nuts
Artichoke and Sun-Dried Tomato Filo

I think I may make the last one -- yum, yum -- and artichokes have been on sale here, too. :)

[emilycat]

Okay, here they are -- the first one's an appetizer, but I really think you could just make the filling and follow the procedure for the second one to have a whole strudel instead of turnovers. If you want the instructions for assembling the turnovers, just let me know. I also think you could cut waaaay down on the butter/olive oil -- ack!

Filo Turnovers with Spinach, Feta Cheese and Rosemary

8 frozen filo pastry sheets
1 T. extra virgin olive oil
1/4 medium red onion, diced, about 1/2 cup
salt and pepper
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 bunches of spinach, stems removed and leaves washed, about 16 cups packed
1/2 t. finely chopped lemon zest
1/2 t. finely chopped fresh rosemary
3 ounces feta cheese
1/2 cup melted unsalted butter or olive oil
1/3 cup walnut pieces, toasted and chopped

Remove the filo pastry from the freezer and let it come to room temperature while you make the filling.
Preheat the oven to 375. Heat 1/2 T. of the olive oil in a large skillet and add the onion, 1/4 t. salt, and a few pinches of pepper. Saute over medium heat until the onion begins to release its juices, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and saute until the onions are soft, 2 to 3 minutes more. Transfer to a bowl.
in the same pan, heat the remaining 1/2 T. olive oil and add the spinach with 1/4 t. salt and a few pinches of peper. Wilt the spinach over high heat, using a pair of tongs to toss it. Cool, then squeeze out the extra moisture a small handful at a time; it should be moist but not wet. Coarsely chop the spinach and toss it with the onions, lemon zest, rosemary and feta. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Mushroom-Leek Filo with Gruyere Cheese and Thyme

The smooth, almost buttery flavor of leeks provides the background for rich, earthy-tasting mushrooms and fresh thyme. Saute the fresh mushrooms over high heat, using the porcini-soaking liquid to loosen the delicious pan juices, so that the full mushroom flavor is used. Dried shiitakes will do nicely if porcini aren't available.

16 frozen filo pastry sheets
2 T. light olive oil
2 large leeks, white parts only, cut in half lengthwise, sliced, and washed, about 3 cups
1/4 t. dried thyme
salt and pepper
5 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/4 cup dry white wine
1/4 ounce dried porcini, soaked in 1/2 cup warm water for 10 minutes
3/4 pound white mushrooms, sliced, about 4 cups
1 T. chopped fresh thymee
1 pound ricotta cheese, about 2 cups
2 eggs, beaten
2 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated, about 2/3 cup
6 T. unsalted butter or light olive oil
1/2 cup almonds, toasted and finely chopped
2 ounces Gruyere cheese, grated, about 3/4 cup

Remove the fio pastry from the freezer and let it come to rom temperature while you make the filling. Heat 1 T. of the olive oil in a large skillet and add the leeks, dried thyme, 1/2 t. salt, and a few pinches of pepper. Cover the pan and steam the leeks over medium heat for 4 to 5 minutes. Add half the garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Add the white wine to deglaze the pan and simmer for a minute or two, until the pan is nearly dry. Transfer the leeks to a bowl.
Pour the porcini into a fine strainer and save the liquid to use later. Chop the porcini, discarding any pieces that are gritty or hard.
Heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in the skillet and asute the fresh mushrooms and porcini over high heat with 1/4 t. salt and a few pinches of pepper. When the mushrooms are golden, in about 6 to 8 minutes, add the remaining garlic and saute for 1 minute. The pan will be browned; use the porcini-soaking liquid to loosen the mushroom juices. Toss the leeks and mushrooms together with the fresh thyme. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Place the ricotta in a bowl; add the eggs, 1/2 t. salt, 1/8 t. pepper, and half the Parmesan. Mix thoroughly.
Preheat the oven to 375. If you're using butter, melt it in a small pan and set it over hot water to keep it warm as you layer the filo. Unfold the dough, lay it on the counter, and cover with a damp towel to keep it from drying out. Butter the bottom of a 9 by 13 inch baking dish and lay down a sheet of filo, brushing it lightly with butter and sprinkling with some of the nuts. Coninue layering this way with 7 more sheets of filo, using half the nuts. Spread the ricotta custard on the filo, followed by the vegetables. Layer on 8 more sheets of filo, lightly brushing each with butter and sprinkling with the remaining nuts. Brush the top layer thoroughly with butter.
Refrigerate the filo for 10 minutes to chill the top layer. If necessary, cut around the edges of the pan to remove any exces dough. Cut the filo into 6 squares and cut each square into 2 triangles. (It's best to cut the portions before baking, because the filo will be flaky and difficult to cut afterward.) Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until golden.

Makes one 9-by-13 inch filo pastry; serves 6

[DmOrtega]

From Ann Lovejoy's Fresh from the Garden, a weekly newspaper column.

Pastry Cups with Chutney and Brie

24 pastry or phyllo dough cups (about 1-inch across)
1 Cup Chutney
3-4 ounces brie cheese

Bake pastry cups as directed on package, cool. Preheat broiler. In each cup, place 1 teaspoon each of chutney and brie. Broil until hot. (3-4 minutes)

Serve at once.

Note: I have been looking at this all day and I think, if you have a mini muffin pan, you can cut pieces of the phyllo to make a small cup. Prebake and finish later with the chutney and Brie.