Olive Oil
2 Leeks, chopped
2 Garlic Cloves, chopped
500gr. Mixed Mushrooms, chopped
1 tsp. Fresh Thyme, chopped
2 Cups of Baby Spinach
½ Cup of Sour Cream or Soy Cream
2 Cups of grated hard Cheese (Gruyère or Parmesan)
2Tbsp. of Bread Crumbs
2Tbsp of Walnuts, toasted & roughly chopped
4 Sheets of Phyllo Pastry
Melted Butter for brushing
Method:
Add a few tablespoons of olive oil to a large shallow pan. Once hot add the leeks and garlic. Cook gently until the leeks have softened before adding the chopped mushrooms.
Add the fresh thyme and allow to cook until completely dry. Add the spinach and stir until they start to wilt. Once they are soft you can remove the pan from the heat and allow to cool for a few minutes.
After your spinach and mushroom mixture has sufficiently cooled remove any extra liquid by pressing the mixture between your hands. Add the mixture to a mixing bowl, followed by the sour cream, grated cheese, bread crumbs and the walnuts. Stir gently to combine.
Place a sheet of phyllo pastry on your cutting board or work surface and brush with some of the melted butter. Place another sheet over the first one and repeat the process until you’ve used up all the remaining sheets of pastry.
Place your spinach and mushroom filling on the bottom half of your pastry, leaving the sides open to fold.
Start by folding the bottom side of the pastry closest to you over the filling, then fold the sides over the filling. Now gently start to roll the pastry away from you until you reach the end of the pastry. Gently lift the roll and place it with the folded side facing down on a baking sheet lined with baking paper. Brush the strudel with some butter before placing it in a pre-heated oven of 180ºC for 40 minutes.
Remove the strudel and allow to cool for a few minutes on a cooling rack before slicing it.
Serve with a crisp salad or steamed vegetables of your choice.
Chef’s Note: It isn’t easy to find perfect sheets of phyllo pastry without any tears or weak spots. Should you detect any tears in your pastry I would suggest you add an extra layer or two of pastry to make sure that your filling doesn’t leak during the baking process.
Instead of using a baking sheet you can also bake the strudel in a bread tin, this way the sides will be secured and the pastry is less likely to tear.
Looks yummy