What a spectacular way to start off the New Year! Vegetable Strudel from Lucy Gerspcher's cookbook, Hazelnuts & More, is sure to impress and please even the most discerning diner. It's both beautiful to look at and delicious to consume.
Gerspcher cautions: don't let the length of the recipe alarm you. And she's right. It goes together easily and can be done ahead in several steps. It can also be frozen and reheated in a 375 degree oven.
These hazelnuts are grown on a small farm near Oregon City. After shelling, store hazelnuts in the freezer to ensure a high quality ingredient.
Vegetable Strudel
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
salt, to taste
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/2 cup chopped green onions
8 ounces chopped fresh spinach, medium chopped
2 carrots, peeled and coarsely grated
8 sheets Phyllo dough, thawed
1/2 cup (approximate) clarified, unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup finely ground toasted hazelnuts
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
- Melt one tablespoon oil in a large skillet. Over high heat, saute mushrooms until golden brown, about 5 minutes, stirring often. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove from skillet and drain on paper towels. Cool.
- Heat remaining oil in the same skillet. Over medium high heat, saute green onions and spinach for about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Drain on paper towels until cool. Pat off excess moisture.
- In the same skillet toss grated carrots for about 1 minute, adding a little additional oil if needed. Drain on paper towels until cool. Heat oven to 375 degrees.
- Bush one sheet of Phyllo lightly with melted butter. Sprinkle with about 1 tablespoon finely chopped hazelnuts and 1 tablespoon parmesan cheese. Layer with three additional sheets, repeating with butter, hazelnuts and parmesan.
- On the short end of the dough, place half of the spinach mixture in a 2 inch wide strip, one inch from the bottom and the sides. Top with half of the mushrooms and half of the carrots. Fold the long, 1 inch edges over the filling and all the way up the sides of the dough. Fold the bottom edge up over the filling. Carefully roll the dough around the filling so that you end up with carrots on top and the seam on the bottom. Don't roll it too tightly, or the filling will cook out when baked.
- Repeat with the remaining ingredients to make 2 rolls.
- Brush rolls with melted butter. Sprinkle with parmesan and hazelnuts. With a sharp knife, score the top of the roll in serving size pieces, cutting almost all the way through the pastry. Bake until golden, approximately 20 minutes. Let stand several minutes before slicing. Serve the Mustard/Lime Sauce.
Mustard/Lime Sauce
Combine 1/2 cup mayonnaise, 2-3 tablespoons fresh lime juice, 2 teaspoons dijon mustard and 2 tablespoons cream. Mix until smooth.