PHYLLO TRIANGLES WITH SQUASH AND MINT

Phyllo Triangles With Squash and Mint image

When you make these baked Greek phyllo bites, you have to take care that the pastry does not dry out, which will cause it to crack when you fold the triangles. Keep the sheets and strips you are not working with covered with a damp towel to avoid this. If you do have a problem with cracking, wrap each triangle in another strip of phyllo.

Provided by Martha Rose Shulman

Time 2h30m

Yield 50 triangles

Number Of Ingredients 10

Ingredients

1 small butternut squash, about 1 1/4 pounds, peeled, halved, seeds and membranes removed, cut into 2-inch pieces
5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and black pepper to taste
1 bunch scallions, white and light green parts, chopped
1 large garlic clove, minced
1 egg
3 ounces feta, crumbled (about 3/4 cup)
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh mint or 1 teaspoon dried mint
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 pound phyllo dough (store-bought is fine)

Steps:

Heat oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment. Toss squash with 2 tablespoons olive oil and salt and pepper to taste. Roast for 25 to 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes, or until the squash is tender and easily pierced with a knife. Allow squash to cool slightly, then mash with a fork or in a food processor.
Lower oven to 350 degrees. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a small skillet and add scallions. Cook, stirring often, until tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 30 seconds to a minute. Add to squash and stir together.
Beat egg in a medium bowl. Add the squash, cheese, mint and salt and pepper. Set aside.
Line 2 baking sheets with parchment. Melt butter with 2 tablespoons olive oil in a microwave at 50 percent power, or in a small saucepan.
Take 1 sheet of phyllo dough at a time and lay it horizontally on your work surface. Cut 2 1/2-inch-wide strips. (You should be able to cut about 6 strips per sheet.) Cover the strips you aren't working with, and the rest of the phyllo, with a damp towel. Brush a strip with the butter-olive oil mixture.
Place a teaspoonful of filling on the strip, about an inch down from the end. Lift a corner of the pastry and fold over filling diagonally until shorter edge of the strip meets the longer edge. Fold triangle of covered filling down toward you, and continue folding over and down at right angles, until you reach the end of the strip. If the phyllo cracks, or if you simply want a thicker wrapper, double wrap the triangle in a second strip.
Brush with more melted butter and olive oil to seal the end, and place on baking sheet. Continue making filled triangles in this way.
Before baking, brush triangles with oil and butter. Bake 20 to 25 minutes, until golden brown. Serve hot.

Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 42, UnsaturatedFat 2 grams, Carbohydrate 4 grams, Fat 3 grams, Fiber 0 grams, Protein 1 gram, SaturatedFat 1 gram, Sodium 54 milligrams, Sugar 0 grams, TransFat 0 grams