I remember the first time I dabbled with phyllo dough I had no idea what I was doing.  My cousin gave me one of those mini pie makers for Christmas a couple of years back and I was eager to get started.  So naturally at the market, I grabbed what I thought to be an ‘easy’ and fun way to try out my new pie maker– phyllo dough.  Following the instructions on the box, as well as, the pie maker’s how-to,  I was off to a good start!

I managed to burn the top of the phyllo dough because I was clueless as to how long they were suppose to cook– but if you must know, I am famous (at home) for ‘burning’ food items.  Either I forget or I over heat…  Anyway, I also managed to let the unused phyllo dough dry out because I didn’t place a wet towel over them…something about following directions?

Looking back, I laugh, I learned, and thankfully I’ve gotten better.  Thus today, I share with you two recipes using phyllo dough.

Ingredients:

Yields 4 large rolls to make the pie

• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1/3 cup red onions, chopped
• 1 whole tomato, chopped
• 1 bunch organic spinach, chopped
• 1/3 cup carrots, Julienne
• 1 lb organic ground bison (you can substitute this with ground beef, turkey, or omit for a vegetarian dish)
• 1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese
• 1 box Phyllo dough
• 1-2 tsp Moroccan Seasoning*
• 1-2 tsp Ras el Hanout Seasoning*
• 1-2 tsp Cumin*
• Kosher salt, to taste
• Fresh ground pepper, to taste
• Olive oil, for brushing, plus extra for pan

NOTE:  You can substitute these seasonings for any type you like.  I tailored the seasoning for this recipe to achieve a Moroccan flair in flavor.

Directions:

1. In a large pan, sauté the garlic, onions and tomatoes for about 2 minutes.  Add-in the ground bison, spinach, and seasonings. Cook until the meat is brown.  Set aside.

   

2. Meanwhile, unwrap the phyllo dough (as instructed on the box).  Take two phyllo dough and brush with olive oil.

   

3. Take the ground bison/spinach filling and place about 4 tablespoons total on top of the phyllo dough, as pictured.  Top with some feta cheese.  After each roll, brush it with olive oil to keep it moist, as well as, at the end of the roll to seal the wrap.

   

4. On a 9-inch pie pan drizzled with olive oil, place each roll gently by curving each one slightly inwards, as pictured.  After placing all the rolls, brush olive oil on top to keep them moist.

   

5. Preheat oven to 350°F and bake for approximately 30 minutes or until the phyllo dough is golden brown.  TIP: Before removing it from the oven, spray the top of the pie with water and leave in for about 3 minutes.  This makes the top crispy, as well as, moist.

   

Phyllo Dough Cups

Yields 12 individual cups (from the left over filling of the pie)

Directions:

1. To make the same recipe using a muffin tin, follow step 1.
2. Take the remaining phyllo dough and cut them in half; then in half again.
3. Place each half on a muffin tin and fill with about 1 tablespoon of filling.
4. Keeping the oven temperature at 350°F, bake for approximately 10 minutes or until phyllo dough is golden brown.  As you can see from my photos, I was distracted from taking pictures of the pie, that the cups turned out a little more ‘brown’ than I anticipated…LOL.  But they turned out fine 😉

   

5. Top it with sour cream and chives (optional)