Phyllo Wrapped Asparagus
1 pound asparagus
5-9 cloves fresh garlic, minced or pressed
sea salt and black pepper, to taste
juice of 1 fresh lemon
olive oil, for brushing and the saute
phyllo dough, thawed
sesame seeds (black or white), optional
1. Saute asparagus, garlic, sea salt, pepper and lemon juice in some olive oil until asparagus is crisp-tender. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Oil a cookie sheet.
2. Gently unwrap phyllo dough. The trick to working with phyllo is to be gentle and to not let it dry out. I work quickly, so I don't cover the stack of phyllo, but many people find it helpful to place a damp towel on the phyllo stack to prevent it from drying out.
3. Take one sheet at a time and brush with additional oil (or melted margarine). Place one or two asparagus spears in the middle. Roll up, so that the final shape is like a big cigar. Brush with additional oil or margarine and place on the cookie sheet. Continue until your asparagus is all used up.
4. If desired, you can sprinkle some sesame seeds on top (black sesame seeds are especially pretty, but regular ones are fine). Bake until golden brown, about 10 minutes or so.
This one is great for an impressive appetizer that seems like much more work than it actually is. For an Asian flair, you can substitute toasted sesame oil for olive oil, and use lime instead of lemon. Yumsies either way!
SO HOW'D IT GO?
I made these just the way the recipe was written and my family loved them, they made it mandatory that I bring them to every get together.
That photo was actually taken by Wanda, the admin for Vegan Peace. :)
Oh, I forgot to add...the flavor pre-rolling should be a bit strong, as the phyllo will "dilute" the flavor. Of course, a whole lemon is too much, for sure.
The new recipe is tried and true-I even served it to a group of 10 that I catered for on Thanksgiving and they all loved it!
Sorry about the original error, I hope it didn't cause any asparagus to go to waste!!!! :)
Sorry about the strong lemon. I am currently writing a cookbook, and here is the revised recipe out of my starters chapter:
12 thin spears asparagus, trimmed (or 6 fat spears)*
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
6 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1 tablespoon tamari or shoyu
2 tablespoons raw sesame seeds
3 sheets phyllo dough**
Margarine for brushing***
1- Place your asparagus, oil, lime juice, garlic, and salt in a medium size skillet and sauté over medium heat until asparagus is crisp-tender. Set aside.
2- Preheat oven at 400° F. Gently unwrap your phyllo dough and remove 3 sheets. Set those 3 sheets aside, and roll up the remaining phyllo dough in plastic. Place in another airtight plastic bag and put back in the refrigerator immediately (this will prevent it from drying out). Cut your 3 sheets of phyllo in half to make 6 sheets.
3- Brush your phyllo dough with margarine (or spray with oil**). Place two thin asparagus spears (or one fatty) in the center of each sheet. Make sure you scrape the garlic and flavorings onto the phyllo along with the asparagus! Roll up, in a cigar type fashion. Brush again with margarine (or spray with oil). Top with raw sesame seeds.
4- Place on a cookie sheet and bake until golden brown, about 5-10 minutes. Be careful not to over-brown, as phyllo cooks very quickly.
5- Serve immediately.
Makes 6 asparagus wraps.
*To trim asparagus: Hold the bottom of a spear with one hand. Bend the top over with your other hand. The asparagus spear will snap and break in the exact position that will separate the edible portion from the tough base.
**You will want to make sure your whole box of phyllo dough has been removed from the freezer and refrigerated for at least 24 hours before you begin. The unused phyllo dough can be re-wrapped securely in plastic, making sure not to leave any gaps. Wrap in a second plastic bag (airtight again), and keep in refrigerator for up to a month.
***You may wish to omit soy margarine and instead spray the phyllo with an oil sprayer. This is a quicker approach, and is lower in fat. Of course, the more “buttery” and time consuming approach yields a more intense and rich flavor.
these were good, but i don't think so much garlic or lemon juice is necessary. i tried a piece after the saute/before rolling them up and the lemon flavor was WAY too strong. maybe i just cooked them in the juice for too long but i had to rinse the spears off a bit to get rid of all that citrus - it was strong! next time id just throw in a few tablespoons of juice.
I usually use about 1 sheet per roll. Too many can make it too "doughy." If you do use more, be sure to brush or spray each sheet with oil or earth balance. Also, to be really fancy, you can use a flavored oil (like garlic-rosemary) to brush the filo sheets....
How many sheets of pastry do you use per roll?