Phyllo Onion And Dill Purses Food

SWEET CHEESE PHYLLO PURSES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400˚ F. Finely crumble the goat cheese with a fork in a medium bowl, then stir in the ricotta. Brush a 12-cup muffin pan with 1 tablespoon of the melted butter; set aside 1 tablespoon melted butter in a small bowl for step 3.
• Use the remaining 6 tablespoons butter for the phyllo sheets: Brush the top of a phyllo sheet all over with butter, then stack 3 more sheets on top, brushing each with butter. Cut the stack in half lengthwise, then crosswise into thirds to make 6 squares. Press each square into a muffin cup. Repeat with the remaining 4 phyllo sheets and melted butter.
• Divide the cheese mixture among the phyllo-lined muffin cups, pressing with a spoon to flatten the filling into the cups. Fold in the phyllo to cover the filling, leaving a little hole in the center to vent steam. Brush the tops of the dough with the reserved 1 tablespoon melted butter. Put the pan on the oven floor and bake until the phyllo purses are dark golden brown on the bottom, 5 to 8 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 375˚ F; move the muffin pan to the middle oven rack and continue baking until the phyllo is golden brown and crisp on top, 30 to 40 minutes.
• Meanwhile, combine the sugar, water, cardamom and orange zest in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook, occasionally pressing on the cardamom pods with a spoon, until syrupy, about 8 minutes. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a liquid measuring cup. Stir in the orange juice.
• Remove the phyllo purses to a platter as soon as they come out of the oven. Spoon about half of the syrup on top. Let sit for a few minutes to soak in the syrup, then top with the pistachios. Drizzle with more syrup and serve warm.

SPINACH, FETA, AND PHYLLO PURSES

Steps:

• In a heavy skillet cook the onion in 1/4 cup of the oil over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until it is golden, add the spinach, and cook the mixture, stirring, until it is combined well. Remove the skillet from the heat, stir in the Feta and the dill, and let the filling cool.
• Lay 1 sheet of the phyllo with a long side facing you on a work surface and brush it lightly with some of the remaining 1/4 cup oil. Lay another sheet and brush it lightly with some of the remaining oil. With a sharp knife cut the sheets lengthwise into thirds and cut each length crosswise into fifths, making 15 sections, each approximately 4 x 3 1/2 inches. Put a level teaspoon of the filling in the center of each phyllo section. Working with 1 section at a time gather the corners of th phyllo over the filling and twist the phyllo gently. Transfer the pastries to an oiled jelly-roll pan and make pastries with the remaining phyllo, oil, and filling, in the same manner. Bake the pastries in the lower third of a preheated 375°F. oven for 25 minutes, or until they are golden. The pastries may be baked 1 day in advance and kept covered loosely with plastic wrap and chilled. Reheat the pastries in a 375°F. oven for 10 minutes, or until they are heated through.

SPINACH, FETA AND PHYLLO PURSES

Steps:

• STACK PHYLLO BETWEEN 2 SHEETS OFWAX PAPER AND COVERED WITH A DAMPENED KITCHEN TOWEL IN A HEAVY SKILLET COOK THE ONION IN 1/4 CUP OF THE OIL OVER MODERATELY LOW HEAT, STIRRING OCCASIONALLY, UNTIL IT IS GOLDEN, ADD THE SPINACH, AND COOK THE MIXTURE, STIRRING, UNTIL IT IS COMBINED WELL. REMOVE THE SKILLET FROM THE HEAT, STIR IN THE FETA AND THE DILL, AND LET THE FILLING COOL. LAY 1 SHEET OF THE PHYLLO WITH A LONG SIDE FACING YOU ON A WORK SURFACE AND BRUSH IT LIGHTLY WITH SOME OF THE REMAINING 1/4 CUP OIL. LAY ANOTHER SHEET OF PHYLLO OVER THE FIRST SHEET AND BRUSH IT LIGHTLY WITH SOME OF THE REMAINING OIL. WITH A SHARP KNIFE CUT THE SHEETS LENGHTWISE INTO THIRDS AND CUT EACH LENGTH CROSSWISE INTO FIFTHS, MAKING 15 SECTIONS, EACH APPROS. 4 X 3 1/2 INCHES. PUT A LEVEL TSP OF THE FILLING IN THE CENTER OF EACH PHYLLO SECTION. WORKING WITH 1 SECTION AT A TIME GATHER THE CORNERS OF THE PHYLLO OVER THE FILLING AND TWIST THE PHYLLO CLOSED GENTLY. TRANSFER THE PASTRIES TO AN OILED JELLY-ROLL PAN AND MAKE PASTRIES WITH THE REMAINING PHYLLO, OIL, AND FILLING IN THE SAME MANNER. BAKE THE PASTRIES IN THE LOWER THIRD OF A PREHEATED 375 OVEN FOR 25 MINUTES, OR UNTIL THEY ARE GOLDEN. CAN BE BAKED 1 DAY IN ADVANCE AND KEPT COVERED LOOSELY WITH PLASTIC AND CHILLED. REHEAT IN A 375 OVEN FOR 10 MINUTES.

SWEET ONION AND SWISS PHYLLO ROLL-UPS

Steps:

• Preparation:.
• In medium bowl, mix cream cheese and Swiss cheese. Set aside. In heavy skillet, sauté onions, thyme, and pepper in 1/4 cup butter until very soft and beginning to brown, 10-15 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook another 1 minute. Cool 20 minutes. Mix together onion mixture and cheese mixture and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• Place one sheet filo dough on work surface. Brush with melted butter. Lay another sheet on top, brush with butter, and put one more sheet on top.
• Take the onion mixture and form a roll about 1 inch in diameter down one long edge of the stacked filo. Roll up carefully and place on cookie sheet. Brush thoroughly with more butter. Repeat with remaining filo and filling, making six rolls total. I place three rolls on each cookie sheet. Cover well with plastic wrap and chill overnight.
• When ready to bake, preheat oven to 375 degrees F and remove the rolls from the refrigerator. Bake for 10-17 minutes or until rolls begin to brown and cheese filling melts. Let stand 5 minutes, then, using a very sharp knife, cut rolls into 1" pieces. Let cool for 5-10 minutes, then serve. The onion filling right out of the oven is super-hot. Serves 8-10 - or 4-6, at my parties!
• You can also freeze these rolls. Wrap well in freezer wrap, label, and freeze up to 3 months. To bake frozen rolls, place rolls on cookie sheets and bake at 375 degrees F for 15-23 minutes or until the rolls are beginning to brown and crisp and cheese melts. Proceed as directed above.

PHYLLO CUPS WITH CARAMELIZED ONION HORS D'OEUVRES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350ºF.
• Melt 2 tablespoons butter or margarine in 10" skillet; add onions. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until onions are golden and caramelized (7-10 minutes). Stir in remaining filling ingredients. Continue cooking until heated through and no more liquid.
• Set aside. Allow to cool at least 10 minutes.
• Butter the insides of phyllo cups.
• Place phyllo cups on ungreased baking sheet; place about 1 scant teaspoon of onion mixture in center of cups. Top with 1 teaspoon cheese.
• Repeat the process with remaining phyllo cups.
• Bake 5-8 minutes or until golden brown. (Watch them so they don't burn!).
• Serve warm.
• *Filling can be made 1 day ahead. Just bring to room temperature when you are going to make the cups.*.