Don’t we all want a fancy smancy meal that doesn’t require hours in the kitchen? I know I do.
Meet Phyllo dough. It’s here to bring back the fancy in your life!
Cuz we need it.
And I don’t mean Circa 1982 pink carpet fancy either…
Any takers? lol.
Phyllo (also spelled fillo or filo) is fancy smancy. You can buy it pre-made. It’s versatile.
Native to Middle Eastern cooking, Phyllo (which translates to “leaf” in Greek) is a kind of dough that is stretched into paper-thin like sheets and used for savoury and sweet pastries. Think, Baklava. Mmm.
It’s made primarily of flour, water, and a bit of oil, but it’s usually recommended to buy it pre-made due to it’s extremely delicate nature.
If you’re like me, you’ve seen Phyllo dough lurking in the freezer section of your grocery store, but slinked away in fear not knowing what the heck to do with it.
I decided I was going to get over my Phyllo fears, so I picked up some dough, watched a couple You Tube videos, and realized it wasn’t so bad after all!
Here are a few important tips about working with Phyllo dough:
1. It needs to thaw, so you can leave it in the fridge overnight or on the counter for a couple hours.
2. Because the dough is paper-thin, it dries out super fast. When it dries out, it tears very easily. It’s best to wait to open the package until you are ready to use it. Once it is opened and rolled out, place a piece of parchment or wax paper over top and then cover it with a damp tea towel to keep in the moisture. This is essential or your dough will crack much more easily.
3. The goal is not perfection! At first I was terrified of cracking or tearing the dough, but after a few slip-ups, I realized that my pastry would still taste delicious even if it wasn’t perfect. So don’t freak out if it tears a bit on you. Just try to handle it as gently as possible and do what you can.
4. Spread a generous amount of melted Earth Balance on each layer with a pastry brush or to save more time, spray with cooking spray. This not only adds needed moisture, but it creates a delicious buttery pastry once baked. I’m not so sure cooking spray would have tasted as good as my Earth Balance version though!
The first thing you need to do is prepare your filling. I had a bunch of garden kale to use up, as well as local Crimini mushrooms, so I decided to make a mushroom pastry with kale, cheeze, etc. You can use whatever vegetables you prefer though! It’s extremely versatile.
I sliced the mushrooms (making 7 cups) and I cooked it down for about 10 minutes until most of the water evaporated.
Next, I added about 1 cup chopped kale leaves (no stem), 1 cup chopped onion, 1 tsp olive oil, 2 minced garlic cloves, Herbamare, ground pepper, and fresh Thyme. I cooked this for about 5-7 minutes. It tasted amazing.
Once the filling was ready, I stirred in the cheese, removed it from the heat, and unrolled my Phyllo dough. Make sure you have a damp tea towel and parchment paper ready!
Grab a large baking sheet and line it with parchment paper or a non-stick mat. Carefully peel off 1 piece of dough and place it onto the baking sheet.
At this point, you can either spray each sheet with cooking spray or use my method which is to spread on melted Earth Balance with a pastry brush.
Repeat this process, for about 7 sheets of dough.
You might have a couple ‘flops’ along the way. Don’t fret!
Make sure to keep the dough covered with a damp tea towel throughout this process.
Once you have your 7 layers, scoop on your filling and fold in the sides.
Now roll your pastry all the way up into a log. This part was much easier than I thought!
Now, brush your log with more oil or melted Earth Balance.
Bake in a 350F pre-heated oven for 25-35 minutes until slightly golden. It will be puffy and beautiful.
Slice on a diagonal because you’re fancy. It will be really hard not to inhale this right on the pan! Don’t be alarmed when it flakes all over the place, this is normal.
Behold, the flaky, cheezy, buttery glory.
WANT.
Now.
For breakfast.
The 1/2 cup of Daiya Cheese brought this pastry to a whole other level. I highly recommend it.
Now I just need to figure out what I’m doing with the leftover sheets. Maybe a sweet tart is in my future?
Oh She Glows
Stuffed Mushroom Phyllo Roll
Perfect for a fancy meal to impress. Hands down, one of the best savoury vegan foods I’ve made. This mushroom pastry is buttery, flaky, cheezy and will have you ohhing and awwing with every sinful bite.
Yield: 2-4 servings (we both ate the entire thing quite easily!)
Ingredients:
- 7 sheets Phyllo dough, thaw according to package directions
- 16 oz/7 cups sliced fresh Crimini mushrooms (or mushrooms of choice)
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 1 cup chopped sweet onion
- 2 finely chopped garlic cloves
- 1-2 tbsp fresh Thyme (or use 1/2 tbsp dried)
- Kosher salt, Herbamare, and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 cup kale leaves, roughly torn and stems discarded
- 1/2 cup shredded Daiya Cheese
- ~1/2 cup melted Earth Balance, olive oil, OR cooking spray
1. Preheat oven to 350F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Thaw Phyllo dough according to package directions.
2. In a large skillet, add 7 cups sliced mushrooms and cook on medium heat for about 10 minutes until the water cooks off.
3. Add in the garlic, oil, onion, and kale. Cook for another 5-7 minutes on medium-low heat. Add seasonings to taste. Remove from heat and stir in the cheese.
4. Place 1 sheet of Phyllo dough onto prepared baking sheet. Brush or spray on butter or oil. Repeat for 7 layers.
5. Scoop on mushroom filling, roll the edges inward, and then roll into a log. Brush log with oil or butter. Bake at 350F for 25-35 minutes until golden. Slice and enjoy!
I made a Mango Kale salad to go with it which also was quick and easy. I have kale coming out of the wazoo in my garden (among peppers, cukes, onions, etc!), so I’ve been giving it away to friends and also using it daily in my meals.
Oh She Glows
Mango Kale Salad
Adapted from Food Network.
Ingredients:
- 1 bunch kale, stalks removed and leaves roughly torn
- 1 lemon juiced
- 1 tbsp + 1-2 tsp olive oil, to taste
- Kosher salt or Herbamare & freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1-1.5 tbsp pure maple syrup
- 1.25 cup diced mango (I just thawed frozen mango chunks)
- 2 tbsp pepita seeds, or other seed of choice
1. In a large bowl, add kale, half the lemon juice, a tablespoon of oil, and a sprinkle of salt. Massage the kale leaves with your hands for about 1 minute. Set aside.
2. Add the rest of the lemon juice, maple syrup, salt & pepper, and remaining oil into a mason jar. Close lid and shake (alternatively you can whisk in a bowl). Adjust dressing to taste and add more salt, oil, & pepper if needed.
3. Pour dressing over kale and massage well with hands. Add mango and seeds. Place in the fridge for a minimum of 1 hour so it can soften and marinate.
First, massage some oil, lemon juice, and salt into the kale leaves.
Shake up your dressing.
Pour on the dressing, massage into kale, add mango and seeds, marinate for an hour or longer, and then serve!
It was light and lovely, although our all-time favourite kale salad is still the Weekend Glow Kale Salad.
All in all, a wonderful meal which was a nice treat during a time of chaos.
Especially with some Chardonnay…
~~~
Feed Good Tea Giveaway Winner!
Congrats to Stephanie for winning the tea prize pack! Stephanie wrote, “I would love to win a new tea selection, just in time for fall!” Stephanie I’ve emailed you to collect your shipping info and we’ll get this shipped to you right away.
{ 168 comments… read them below or add one }
I would be all over that roll because I LOVE mushrooms! I’m actually eating some right now! Yummy.
I’m not a mushroom person but this recipe can so easily be altered to whatever you like so I thank you for a great base recipe to go from! Oh the possibilities! :)
yes it definitely could!
Oh my goodness Angela, this looks truly delicious! I was afraid to use Phyllo dough for years, and I actually tried it out on one of our mushroom recipes and was impressed at how easy it is to use…. you just need patience… lol
- Brittany
Angela this looks incredible! I have helped Jason make baklava before and I remember my heart was practically beating out of my chest — I didn’t want to rip the dough! I know, its just food, but I wanted it to be perfect (and it was and so so good)
Looks delicious! And not too intimidating, which is key. ;)
That looks incredible. I LOVE any type of savory mushroom pastry. Thanks so much for the recipe Angela!
Kale freezes pretty well if you tire of eating it or giving it away. ;-)
Yea I’ve been freezing it in boat loads too!
INCREDIBLE! This looks so delicious!!!!
We are having a lot of construction done on our house so I completely understand the need for something easy yet fancy! Nothing beats sauteed mushrooms and flakey dough :-)
Puff Pastry is also a dream and very versatile. I make a spinach and cashew cheeze puff pastry tart and it’s a dead ringer for Spanokopita. I’ll have to try this mushroom roll though, looks awesome!!
I adore phyllo dough…this looks amazing for any meal!
Mushrooms, daiya and phyllo — YUMMY!!!! I’ve tried my hand at phyllo to make spanakopita and baklava; they didn’t look pretty but they tasted amazing!!! I’m wondering if there’s anyway to make a vegan version of spanakopita??? Hmmm…sounds like a good challenge!! Happy Tuesday Ange!
I am so making these phyllo rolls for my lunch to hide all my so-called “weird” veggies.
This. Looks. INCREDIBLE! My mom has salmon stuffed in a phyllo dough this weekend and it looks SO good. I love the idea of shoving it full of fruits and veggies!!
mmmm….filo…right up my alley being Bulgarian and all:) try to stuff it with pumpkin and walnuts sometime – it is amazing!
Wow that would be delicious :) with a drizzle of maple syrup too..
Yes, it’s a traditional Bulgarian desert – I will dig out the recipe and send it to you – maybe you can veganize it? :))) I am still not very good at vegan substitutions:)
cool, thanks!
Oh my gosh! That looks amazing- and it’s such a versatile technique! You could roll up just about anything! (I’m immediately thinking of apples earth balance and cinnamon in the fall for a sweet version- or heck, you could do apples, thyme and daiya for a non-sweet apple roll…)
I love Kale. I just bought some yesterday b/c it’s been too long since I’ve eaten it. I love to sautee it with lemon juice and garlic and stir it into spaghetti noodles (topped with parm for me, but maybe nutritional yeast to veganize), stir fry it with garbanzo beans, or sautee it and serve it alongside roasted potatoes with plenty of ketchup and hot sauce. It’s also good sauteed with garlic then finished with sliced almonds and earth balance.
mmm wonderful ideas Shelly!
Sounds awesome, Ange! I saw this on your facebook page yesterday and couldn’t wait to see the recipe. I have purchased phyllo dough (in fact, it was Fillo Factory as well!) but had the same problem as you with not knowing what to do with the rest!
Oh, and basil. The last Kale recipe should say: sauteed with garlic and basil, then finished with slice almonds and earth balance. :)
With your left over sheets you could slice up a few bananas, top with nutella, roll up and bake. I bet that would be delicious!
yum!
Anything stuffed with mushrooms and cheese has got to be good in my book! I’m bookmarking this now! :-D
thank you for posting those tips ! this is the perfect appetizer or dish to bring to a party. doesn’t cutting it on an angle make it look so much prettier? awesome recipe :)
amazing can’t wait to try it, going to get the stuff !!!
Wow…that looks incredible!
Spelt phyllo pastry? Must find.
I bought it from Ontario Natural Food Coop but Ive heard Whole Foods carries them too. I’ll have to check loblaws next time im there.
That was going to by my first question!
Thanks for the heads up Angela, i’ll have to get some on my next trip to Whole Foods!!!
Thanks!
That looks great. Can you please tell me where you found spelt phyllo? Thanks!!
Ontario Natural Food Coop, but I think Whole Foods carries the same brand too.
Aarti’s is the first kale salad I ever made and its the best!!
Those look soo yummy!! I love phyllo rolls and the way they fall apart in your mouth with their crunch :) Can you tell I am craving them!? :) lol
I think I can actually smell the pastry through my monitor…just sayin’
:)
My Greek mother in law was visiting last month and left me with half a box of unused phyllo dough in my freezer. This looks perfect for using it up! It definitely intimidates me when I look at and usually just shove it out of the way and grab something easier to make.
I worked with phyllo for the first time recently and made baklava! This savory recipe is next on my list!
This phyllo roll looks awesome! I love that there are millions of layers (yes, literally ;) )
YES! I love pyhllo and I usually use it for my sweet treats but I love they idea here for a stuffed mushroom and with diaya cheese (still have not tried it!) meal, good call.
Now to that Kale Salad, I would easily eat the entire bowl. ;)
I’ve always been scared of phyllo too!! :) This looks awesome!! Might be a good appy at a party!!
That kale salad sounds awesome too!
My favorite way to eat kale is sauteed with a little bit of sesame oil and topped with salt and sunflower seeds!
For some reason- I am now inspired! I am getting off work an hour early today and I am going to try making it with my mother in law’s veggies she gave us from her garden. How did you find the veggies and cheese within the dough? Did it not make it soggy at all?
Thanks
It’s been sooooo long since I’ve used phillo. Do you know if any made with while wheat flour is out there? This looks amazing and yes, oh so fancy :)
My favourite fall dessert is warm apple strudel using phyllo dough, it’s just grated apples, walnuts, raisins and cinnamon. I will definitely be trying the mushroom filling, it looks delicious.
Hi Angela,
I have been a follower for sometime and everything always looks so amazing. When I saw this post I had to respond. I can’t wait to try this recipe very soon.
I hope you enjoy it Lacy! Thanks for your comment :)
WOwowow!!! I would have cleared that pan myself! I can’t believe you found spelt phyllo!! That is so very cool. I was thinking yesterday when I saw your FB photo of this meal…I wonder if they make GF phyllo? Probably not, but might have to try the spelt if I can find it! I’m sure Eric thoroughly enjoyed this. My uncles wife + whole family are 100% Greek, so I’m very familiar with the magical powers of phyllo. :)
Looks great!! I recently used phyllo dough for the first time and it was not nearly as awful as I thought it would be! Realizing that perfection isn’t necessary is the key. Once I stopped worrying about tears I found it easier to manage.
Gorgeous, savory dish! Please will you make baklava next though? :)
{ 5 trackbacks }