Filo with spinach, mushrooms, goat cheese and walnuts

Filo with spinach, mushrooms, goat cheese and walnuts

I must say this is my 1st adventure in using Filo dough and I am very pleased with the results though I rolled the dough out before it was fully thawed and it crumbed a bit, but not to worry it all worked out. It will be better next time. This is another Vegetarian recipe. Creamy, mild goat cheese and walnuts give this a delicious flavor.

16 frozen filo pastry sheets

2 1/2 Tbls olive oil

1/2 medium sized red onion, sliced about 1 cup

Salt & pepper

6 garlic cloves, finely chopped

3/4 lb mushrooms, thinly sliced, about 4 cups

1/4 cup dry white wine

2 bunches of spinach with stems removed and sliced in ½ inch slices

2 Tbls each fresh herbs: parsley, thyme and marjoram

1 lb ricotta cheese, about 2 cups

2 eggs beaten

1 oz Parmesan cheese, grated, about 1/3 cup

6 Tbls butter or olive oil

1/3 cup walnuts, grated fine

1/4 lb goat cheese, crumbed, about 2/3 cup

Remove filo pastry from freezer and let it come to room temperature while you make the filling. Heat 2 Tbls of oil in a large skillet; add onion, 1/4 tsp salt and a few pinches of pepper. Sauté over medium heat until it begins to soften. Add mushroom and cook until softened. Add garlic, sauté just to soften. Add wine and cook until it evaporates. Add remaining oil and spinach. Cook until the spinach is wilted. Add herbs. Place ricotta in bowl; add eggs, ½ tsp. 1/8 tsp pepper and Parmesan cheese mix well.

Preheat oven to 375°F. Melt butter in a small pan to use for brushing on the filo dough. Keep it warm so it is easy to brush. Roll out filo dough and cover with a damp towel to keep it from drying out. Brush some butter on the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish. Lay down some filo to cover the bottom. Brush it lightly with butter and sprinkle it nuts. Continue layering the filo until you have about 7 layers. Spread the ricotta mixture evenly over the layered filo. Add the vegetable mixture. Sprinkle goat cheese over the top. Layer about 8 move layers of filo buttering each layer like before. Brush the top layer thoroughly with butter.

Refrigerate the dish for about 10 minutes. Remove from refrig and cut the filo in equal squares then cut each square into a triangle. This will make it easier to remove from the baking dish. Bake at 375° for 35-40 minutes until golden brown.

— Barbara Rexford