Asparagus & Pastourma Pastry Rolls

Ingredients

Makes 20

• 20 asparagus spears, woody ends removed
• 10 slices of pastourma, sliced in half lengthways
• 10 sheets of Antoniou Fillo Pastry
• olive oil spray
• ¾ cup grated Kefalotyri cheese
• olive oil and balsamic vinegar to serve

Method

Preheat your oven to 180 deg C and line a baking tray with baking paper.

Blanch the asparagus in boiling water for 2 minutes. Remove and immediately refresh in cold water. Drain and allow to cool completely.

Take one sheet of fillo, lay it out width wise on a clean bench, spray with olive oil and layer another sheet of fillo on top. Spray the top sheet with olive oil again and proceed to cut 4 strips form the pastry (each should measure approximately 11cms).

Take one asparagus spear and wrap the pastourma around it from top to bottom. Position the wrapped asparagus spear on the bottom edge of the fillo strip and roll it up. Continue with the remaining asparagus and fillo and place on a baking tray.

Spray with olive oil spray and top with grated kefalotyri cheese and bake for 15 mins or until golden brown.

Serve immediately with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

Recipe, styling and photography by Souvlaki for the Soul

Notes

This is a great entrée or served as part of a cocktail party. You can substitute prosciutto or Serrano ham if you can’t find pastourma. Parmesan or Pecorino also work well if you can’t find kefalotyri.

Mini Vegetable Quiches

Ingredients

makes 6

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 carrot, grated
• 1 zucchini, grated
• half a red capsicum finely chopped
• half a green capsicum, finely chopped
• 1 small onion, finely diced
• salt and pepper
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup pouring cream
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 6 sheets of Antoniou fillo pastry
• olive oil spray
• grated parmesan cheese

Instructions

Heat the olive oil in a medium sized pot and add the carrot, zucchini, the red and green capsicums and the onion. Season with salt and pepper and allow to cook for 10 mins until softened. Remove and set aside and cool completely.

Combine the eggs, cream and basil in a jug and set aside also.

Preheat your oven to 180 deg C and spray a 6 cup muffin tin with olive oil.

Take one sheet of fillo and lay it on a clean bench, the longer side facing you. Spray liberally with olive oil and place another sheet of fillo on top. Spray with olive oil again. Cut the fillo into four even strips width ways and again into three even strips crossways. You will end up with 12 squares.

Stack 6 of the squares to form a star shape and push into the muffin moulds to form a mini pie. Repeat with the remaining squares and fillo until the muffin tin is full. Place 2 tbsp of the cooled veggies into each pie and top with the egg mixture. Grate a little Parmesan on top of each pie and cook for 20 mins until golden and slightly puffy.

Recipe, styling and photography by Souvlaki for the Soul

Roast Vegetable and Feta Wraps

Ingredients

serves 4

350g peeled and seeded butternut pumpkin, cut into 2cm pieces
1 red capsicum, quartered, veins and seeds removed
olive oil spray
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic
2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
1 teaspoon sugar
ground black pepper
8 sheets Antoniou Fillo pastry
120g goats’ feta cheese, crumbled
1/3 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
1 teaspoon poppy seeds
salad leaves, to serve

Method

Preheat oven to 220° C. Line a roasting pan with baking paper.

Place pumpkin and capsicum in prepared pan and spray with olive oil spray. Roast 25 minutes or until soft.

Meanwhile, heat oil in a frypan over a medium heat. Add onion and cook for 8 minutes or until softened, stirring occasionally. Add garlic, thyme and sugar; stir for 1 minute longer. Place into a medium sized bowl. Season with pepper.

Cut capsicum into 2 cm pieces. Lightly crush pumpkin with a fork. Add capsicum and pumpkin to onion; mix lightly to combine. Set aside for 15 minutes to cool. Reduce oven temperature to 190°C.

Place fillo flat on a work surface. Keep covered with a lightly dampened tea towel to prevent fillo from drying out. Spray 1 sheet of pastry with oil. Top with another sheet of pastry; spray with oil, then fold in half, short edge to short edge. Spray with oil, then spoon 1⁄4 vegetable mixture along one long side of the pastry about 3cm from the edge and leaving a 3cm border on either side. Top vegetable mixture with 1⁄4 of the crumbled feta and 1⁄4 of the walnuts. Fold long edge over filling, then fold in side edges. Roll pastry to enclose filling. Place, seam side down, on a large oven tray lined with baking paper. Repeat with remaining fillo, vegetable mixture, feta and walnuts. Spray wraps with olive oil spray and sprinkle with poppy seeds. Bake 25 minutes or until pastry is golden and crisp.

Serve with salad leaves.

Mushroom Strudel

Ingredients

serves 4

1 tablespoon olive oil, plus extra for brushing
1 leek, pale part only, split lengthwise and sliced
200g Swiss brown mushrooms, sliced
200g button mushrooms, sliced
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
1/2 cup light thickened cream
1 and 1/2 teaspoons cornflour
1/2 cup fresh white breadcrumbs
salt & ground black pepper
8 sheets Antoniou Fillo pastry
1/4 cup dried breadcrumbs
1/4 cup finely grated parmesan
120g soft goats’ feta, crumbled
1 teaspoon sesame seeds
salad to serve

Method

Preheat oven to 190ºC. Line an oven tray with non-stick baking paper.

Heat oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat and cook leeks for 5 minutes or until softened, stirring occasionally. Add mushrooms, garlic and thyme and continue cooking for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Blend cream and cornflour together and add to mushroom mixture. Stir until heated through. Remove from heat and stir in fresh breadcrumbs, salt and pepper. Cool.

Combine dried breadcrumbs and parmesan in a bowl and set aside. Place a sheet of pastry on a bench top (cover remaining sheets with a tea towel to prevent from drying out). Liberally brush pastry sheet with oil, then sprinkle with about 3 teaspoons of breadcrumb / parmesan mixture. Continue layering pastry sheets brushing with oil and sprinkling breadcrumb / parmesan mixture between the layers.

Pile mushroom mixture in a sausage shape along the long side of the pastry stack, leaving a 6cm border, along front and side edges. Sprinkle mixture with feta. Fold sides over filling, then roll up to enclose mixture.

Place on prepared tray, seam side down. Brush with oil and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake 20 minutes or until golden.

Bacon and Mushroom Quiche

Ingredients

9 sheets Antoniou Fillo pastry
olive oil spray

Filling

1 tablespoon olive oil
3 rashers rindless bacon, chopped
150g button mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup sliced shallots
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary, plus 12 extra sprigs
freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup grated tasty cheese
3 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup cream

Method

Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease a 12 hole muffin pan.

Place fillo pastry sheets on a flat clean surface and cover with a lightly dampened tea towel. Layer 3 fillo pastry sheets, spraying between each sheet with olive oil. Spray top with oil. Cut stack in half to form two 21cm x 28cm rectangles. Place one rectangle on top of the other. Cut stack into 4 squares. Gently press the squares into the prepared muffin pan to line 4 holes. Repeat with remaining fill pastry and olive oil to line remaining 8 holes. Set aside.

Make filling. Heat olive oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. Add bacon, mushrooms and shallots. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 8 minutes or until cooked. Stir in chopped rosemary and pepper. Divide mixture between fillo lined muffin cases. Top evenly with cheese.

Whisk eggs, milk and cream together. Carefully pour equal amounts into each pastry case. Top each quiche with a sprig of rosemary. Bake 15 minutes or until golden.