Yummy Vegan Eating

Last night I made these delicious Phyllo Triangles from the Laptop Lunches cookbook. I have made these in the past with tofu, spinach, ricotta or cottage cheese,sour cream and eggs. This recipe was of course vegan and so simple that the flavors were very clear. I did not miss the cheese, sour cream and eggs at all.

Phyllo Triangles

1 (1/2 pound package frozen phyllo dough, thawed several hours

1/2 pound firm tofu

1 1/2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil

1 shallot, diced

1 garlic clove, minced

1/8 cup finely minced fresh dill

2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

3/4 teaspoon sea salt (or to taste)

Freshly ground black pepper

A pinch of nutmeg

Extra virgin olive oil for brushing phyllo

To press the tofu, drain it, wrap it in a clean kitchen towel, and set it on a plate or cutting board. Put something heavy on top of the tofu. Press for 10 minutes. Remove tofu from the kitchen towel and crumble it into small pieces with your fingers.

Heat oil in a non-stick skillet. Saute shallot for 1 minute, add the garlic, crumbled tofu, and dill. Cook, stirring frequently, for another 5 minutes, until the shallot is soft and the tofu is cooked through. Remove from heat and add the lemon juice, salt, and pepper to taste. Taste for salt and lemon and add more if you wish (it should be slightly salty and tangy).

To make the triangles,line two baking sheets with parchment paper and spray or brush with olive oil. Have ready a large pastry board or cutting board, a pizza wheel for cutting, a damp kitchen towel, plastic wrap, and a cooking oil spray pump filled with olive oil or in a small bowl with a pastry brush.

Unwrap the thawed phyllo dough, then unroll just enough to expose about three inches of dough. Use the pizza wheel to cut a 2 1/2 inch wide strip of dough, cutting through all the layers. Roll the rest of the dough back up in the plastic wrap and cover with the damp cloth.

Working quickly so the dough does not dry out, lay out a single strip of phyllo. Spray or brush lightly with oil, then top with another layer of phyllo, then top with another layer, spray again, and add one more layer of phyllo. Spray with oil.

Place 2 teaspoons of filling on the bottom corner of the phyllo strip. Fold the filling up in the dough as if folding a flag, touching the bottom corner to the opposite side, then folding up, then folding the other corner to the opposite side, repeating all the way tot the top to form a small bundle. Place the triangles on the prepared baking sheet, seam side down, and brush or spray with olive oil. Keep the prepared triangles covered with plastic wrap so they do not dry out.

Repeat with all the remaining phyllo dough and filling. When finished, double wrap the two baking sheets with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator overnight or until needed.

When ready to bake, preheat oven to 375*F. Take the baking sheets from the refrigerator and remove the plastic wrap. Bake for 20 minutes, or until golden and crisp. Cool on a wire rack.

Variation: (my favorite) steam 1 ounce package of baby spinach until tender. Drain thoroughly in a sieve or colander. pressing excess moisture out. Place cooked spinach into the prepared tofu mixture and proceed with the recipe.