Greek Phyllo Wraps
I fell in love with these Greek inspired rolls years ago when I first saw them in the magazine Cuisine at Home. I found the dill pattern so beautiful, I had to make them. They are crazy delicious, easy to make, and look so stunning you won’t believe your eyes.
The only difficult part of these wraps is using phyllo dough. Make sure the dough is completely thawed and be sure to keep it under a damp towel. Phyllo pastry is delicate and cracks/rips/breaks easily, so work quickly and carefully when it comes time to do the rolling. Fortunately, it only takes a little practice to get used to the phyllo, so go ahead, double the recipe and freeze half to bake later. Since I’m cooking for two, I find making the recipe once (recipe will make 8 rolls) means I have enough for dinner tonight and to freeze for later.
Ingredients
Olive oil (for sauteing and brushing onto phyllo)
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 1/4 lbs ground turkey
1 cup red bell pepper, finely chopped
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tblsp chopped fresh oregano
2 tblsp chopped fresh dill
2 tblsp chopped flat leaf parsley
2 scallions, finely chopped
1 tbslp fresh lemon juice
4 oz feta cheese (chopped or crumbled)
salt/pepper to taste
16 sheets phyllo pastry (thawed and ready to use)
dill sprigs (optional)
Heat a little oil in a large non-stick skillet and add the onions. Cook until they turn translucent then add the turkey and red bell pepper. Once the turkey is browned, add the garlic, cook another minute then add the nutmeg and the oregano. Cook another minute then remove from the heat and place into a bowl to cool.
Preheat the oven to 425 F.
Once the mixture is cool, add the dill, parsley, scallions, lemon juice and feta cheese. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Time to work with the pastry. Lay out one sheet and brush it with olive oil. If desired, lay out a dill sprig before topping with a second sheet of phyllo and brush that sheet with oil as well.
Spoon about 1/2 cup of the mixture on a short end of the phyllo, fold in the sides of the pastry and roll, placing the wrap seam side down on a baking sheet. I like using silpats or parchment underneath for easy cleanup. Repeat with the remaining turkey mixture and phyllo, then brush the outsides of each roll with olive oil.
Bake for 15 minutes or until the outsides are gloriously golden brown. Let stand for 5 minutes to cool before serving with homemade tzatziki sauce. Yum!
