Baklava

Which 'Sweet' is Sweet,Crunchy,Buttery,Gooeey,Nutty...all at the same time?? And the answer is.............BAKLAVA is a 'sweet lovers' winner for sure! The variety of textures and depth of flavors it offers is just phenomenal and promises to satisfy the 'sweetest of the sweet tooth' :))

I made these for a friend, for her to take to her "International Business class about Turkey" as a treat after the presentation. It was a great 'project" for me..to estimate the cost, estimate how much each ingredient I will need to make the 50 pieces that she needed, how many pans and what size pieces to cut! All in all...It was a good brain workout:)
Ingredients:
1 lb Athens Fillo Pastry Sheets (I used 30 sheets)
1 stick unsalted butter
Butter flavored Cooking spray

Filling:

10 oz Almonds
10 oz Walnuts
2/3rd cup Sugar
1tsp Cinnamon powder
Zest of 2 lemons/ zest of 1 orange
1/2tsp salt
Few pieces of Pistachios for decoration

Syrup:
1.5 cups  Sugar
1.5 cups water
3/4 cup Honey
2 slices of lemon
few drops Rose essence

1) Thaw the Fillo sheets as per packet directions
2) Toast the Almonds and Walnuts separately in the oven/ microwave till slightly toasted ( 4-5 min in microwave, remove every minute and turn the nuts...otherwise they burn) Let them cool
3) In a blender pulse the nuts till coarse along with sugar, cinnamon, zest salt etc.OR chop nuts with a knife.
4) Preheat the oven to 350F
5) Brush a 8in x 12in Pan with butter or coat with butter flavored cooking spray
6) I did this pattern for assembly---(15 sheets Fillo---then nuts layer---then 5 sheets fillo---then nuts layer---and finally 10 sheets fillo) 
Details-Place1 sheet of fillo on the bottom.Spray with cooking spray/ brush evenly with butter.Repeat for the 15 sheets. Then spread half of the nuts mixture. Then place 5 fillo sheets (spreading butter in between each sheet). Then spread remaining half of nuts mixture.Then the 10 fillo sheets (spreading butter in between each sheet) and on top of the last sheet.
LIFE SAVER:  I sprayed the butter flavored cooking spray on the sheets that had broken.Spreading butter on those was really hard.
7) After the assembly, cut with a sharp knife into 30 square pieces ( 6 vertical lines by 5 horizontal lines) Place a small piece of Pistachio in the center of each piece.
8) Bake uncovered for 40 mins till golden
9) Remove from oven and let it cool uncovered for 1and 1/2 hrs
10) Syrup: Mix sugar, honey, lemon slices, rose essence, water in a pot. Bring to a boil. After it comes to a boil...boil for 10 mins. Let it cool till lukewarm
11) Pour the warm syrup on the baked Baklava. Let it soak overnight or several hours. Cut again on the same lines as  before and serve at room temperature.

Store at room temperature for upto 5 days. 

Same Filling as above in the Fillo Cups, garnished with dried Cranberry and topped with 1 tsp sugar-honey syrup

"Appetizers" -Phyllo 'Potlis' with Spiced Green Peas

I know what you are thinking...."She is obsessed with 'Phyllo dough'! Actually it  is not a 'obsession' but more of a 'fascination'.....how many different ways can I use the Phyllo dough! I am just experimenting with shapes, fillings, toppings, tastes- sweets-savories etc. And since I still have half of the phyllo dough sheets still sitting in my refrigerator...you may expect to see more of 'Phyllo' recipes!

Anyways...
Last afternoon, I was thinking what shape to go for today... And I remembered the 'Potli' style bags famous in India.They come in all different colors, sizes with pretty bead work and fancy strings.They are really  very pretty!Perfect I thought! I could do that! I can mold the phyllo into little 'Potlis' and stuff them with spicy green peas filling!

Here is the recipe:

For the Phyllo Dough

 6 sheets of Phyllo dough thawed at room temperature

1/2 tbsp butter melted

1)Place 1 Phyllo sheet on  a flat surface.Brush butter on the surface.

2) Place the next sheet on top.Press flat gently.Apply butter.Repeat for all 6 sheets.

3) Cut into 6 squares of equal size. If you want 'bigger' Potlis cut into 4 squares.

4) Keep covered with moist cloth untill ready to use. They dry up fast!

Spicy Green Peas filling

1 onion finely chopped

1 tomato finely chopped

1 cup frozen green peas

1/2tsp garam masala

1/2tsp cumin

1/2tsp mustard seeds

1/2tsp cumin-coriander powder

1/2tsp Chili powder

1/4tsp turmeric

salt

oil

1) Heat oil in a pan.Add mustard seeds amd let them splutter.Add the cumin seeds,onion and fry till golden colored.Add the tomatoes and rest of the spices.Fry 2-4 mins

2) Add the green peas and salt and fry again till the filling dries up.Let it cool

Phyllo Potlis assembly

1) Take 1 square of layered phyllo dough.Place 1 spoonfull filling in the center.

2) Pull up all corners gently and make into 'Potli'/Pouch.

3) Tie with 'Aluminun foil strips' or green onion leaves.I used aluminun foil strips.

4) Place on baking sheet and bake at 400 F for 20-25 mins untill the 'Potlis' turn Golden brown on all sides.

5) Serve warm with Ketchup/ Hot and sweet suace.Untie the aluminum foil before serving OR for more 'Interest' let your guests untie the 'Potli' before eating.

Untie the 'Potli'...Bite into the crisp buttery Phyllo dough and savor the Spicy green peas!

"Appetizers"- Spinach-Artichoke Phyllo cups

Couple days ago....I was just browsing through freezer section isles of 'Wegmans' and came across this appetizer.Since 'Thanksgiving' is approaching there was a variety of 'hors d'oeuvre' which were either ...ready to bake, ready to fill or ready to serve.It is amazing how many types of appetizers you can put together without much effort.And its literally 'feast for the eyes' as they all look so delicious and tempting.

Their is so much variety in 'semi' ready made foods here in USA....it makes your life so much easy! Unlike in India...you pretty much make everything from scratch.If and when I go back to India...it is definately on back of my mind to start a business like 'Making semi ready foods' for freezers and also 'Gerber' like Indian baby meals! Hahaa....what plans I have!

 Anyways..

I remembered I had some phyllo cups left in my own freezer from the time I made 'Baklava cups' . Immediately next day I tried these out with frozen spinach and artichoke(marinated artichoke quarters) that I had. It tasted good and offered textural contrast of soft spinach-arichoke filling to the crisp crunchy phyllo cups. These Phyllo cups are surely a ' great ' find..you can fill it up with so many things....sweeet/ savory and it all tastes good!

Ingredients:

12 Phyllo cups

1/2 cup frozen spinach thawed & drained or 1 cup fresh spinach sauted and drained

1/4cup cooked marinated artichoke hearts

1/4cup chopped onion

1tsp mayonnaise

1/4 cup shredded cheese (Pepper jack)

1 clove garlic crushed

1/8tsp black pepper

1/2tsp oil

salt

Method

1) Heat 1tsp oil, add crushed garlic,onion, saute for 1-2 mins.

2) Add the spinach and artichoke hearts,mix.Take off the heat .Let cool for 2-3 mins.

3)Add black pepper, salt,mayonnaise mix again.

4) Pre heat oven to 350F.

5) Add spoonfull spinach artichoke mixture to the phyllo cups.Top with shredded cheese.

6) Bake for 8-10 mins till cheese melts and phyllo cups become golden brown

8) Serve immediately.

Note:

I took the above picture before baking in the oven. It just looks prettier with the shredded cheese before melting!