It started off with those wee mince and cheese pies. Then I moved on to the packet of filo pastry I had lying around. Since I am cooking for one, a box of filo lasts a long time, even when you have a filo of some sort every night of the week. It is getting a bit crazy. However, they make perfect meals for one provided you don't mind turning on the oven just for you.
Funnily enough I spent the week making these, originally starting off with some odd-shaped parcels, but then when it got to Saturday and I had to make up about 140 at work at Carrington College I was a bit of a pro (I think).
This isn't really a recipe. There isn't much creativity or difficulty here. The only tricky thing is dealing with your filo which, once you get the hang of it and can work quickly, is really a dream.
Since I have been a bit rushed for time lately, I made up enough for four of these beauties and kept the mixture in the fridge. You've got to be careful to cool everything quickly so there isn't a window of warmth for bacteria to grow.
While you could bake the pumpkin and kumara for about half an hour at 180degC, you can also place 3cm cubes of both in a microwave-safe bowl with a few centimetres of hot water in the base then cover with a lid/cling film and microwave until soft. I find this takes about 7min. Then drain and leave to cool slightly before roughly mashing so there are still large chunks.
Serves 4
8 sheets filo pastry
cooking spray
⅓ pumpkin (a large wedge)
3 large kumara
300g chicken breast, sliced into chunks+
100g feta
3 cloves garlic, crushed
¼ cup rosemary leaves
salt and pepper to taste
Cut the pumpkin and kumara into 2-3cm cubes and either bake at 180degC until soft (about 30min) or microwave in a bowl with a few centimetres of hot water and covered by a lid for 7-10min until soft, then drain. Roughly chop or mash these vegetables and set aside.
Brown the chicken in a pan with the garlic and rosemary and ensure it is cooked through. Taking a cook's knife, dice the cooked chicken and add this and the rosemary to the vegetables.
Chop up the feta into small cubes and add to the vegetable mixture.
Mix the filling until everything is evenly distributed.
Preheat the oven to 180degC.
Take out the filo and place one sheet on to a clean bench. Cover the rest with a dampened tea towel so they do not dry out.
Spray the sheet with the cooking spray and carefully lay over the next layer of filo.
Spray the top of the second layer, then fold the two-sheet stack in half.
Orient the pastry so the longest edge faces you. Place a quarter of the mixture in a rectangular shape along this edge about 10-15cm from the end. Fold over the edge, closest to you. Fold in the side ‘‘flaps'' then carefully roll to wrap the remaining length of filo around the centre ‘‘sausage'', in the same way you would wrap a burrito or a spring roll.
Give the outer surface a good spray with the cooking spray then place on a baking tray lined with baking paper, with the edge of the pastry on the bottom.
Repeat with the remaining filos.
Bake for 25min (or until golden brown) and serve with steamed vegetables or a salad.
Enjoy!
