Sweet & Spicy Triangles (Curry)

Hey, food lovers! Dinner was a delicious success tonight! Main Course: a vegetarian version of spiced lamb phyllo triangles. Let me tell you ALL about the recipe, which is TOTALLY worth all your beautiful effort:

SWEET & SPICY CURRY TRIANGLES

INGREDIENTS:

Filling:

1/4 cup Golden Raisins

1/4 cup dried Cranberries

8 pieces dried Apricot Halves

3/4 cup Boiling Water

1/4 cup Red Wine

4 cloves Garlic, minced

1 Onion, finely chopped

6 oz. vegetarian Chicken-style Sausage (or make your own, see other posts for recipe!)

1/4 cup Vegetable Stock

1/2 teaspoon Mrs. Dash Chicken Seasoning

1 teaspoon Curry Powder (or more, to taste)

1/8 teaspoon Garam Masala (or use a few pinches each of Cinnamon, Allspice, Cloves)

Chopped Parsley, 2 teaspoons dry or 1/4 cup fresh

Fresh Ground Black Pepper to taste

Cayenne Powder to taste

Phyllo Pastry:

8 sheets Phyllo Dough (10" x 14")

1 Egg White whisked together with a few drops of water

Sauce:

2 tablespoons Red Wine

3 cloves Garlic, minced

1 cup Tomato Sauce

2 teaspoons Cumin

1/2 cup Dried Fruit Liquid Reserves (see Method)

Other:

A few drops of Olive Oil or thin pat of Butter, or Parchment Paper (for prepping pan)

Vital Wheat Gluten or Wheat Flour (to thicken Sauce)

METHOD:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Filling:

Place dried Raisins, Cranberries and Apricots in a bowl and cover with boiling water. Steep for 10 minutes until soft and puffy. Save the water for making the Sauce in a separate dish, and chop rehydrated fruit into small pieces.

In a large saute pan or stock pot, saute Garlic in Red Wine over medium heat until soft and fragrant, 2-4 minutes. Add Onion and a bit of additional Water or Vegetable Broth if necessary, and saute until soft, approximately 10-12 minutes.

Add the Vegetarian Sausage, Vegetable Broth, Mrs. Dash, Curry Powder, Garam Masala, Parsley, Pepper and Cayenne, along with the chopped, rehydrated Dried Fruit.

Reduce heat to medium low and cook, stirring occasionally until liquid is reduced, roughly 15 minutes.

(The Filling can be made up to two days in advanced and kept refrigerated until use).

Place cooked Filling in a large bowl and cool to room temperature, about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, you can prepare the baking pan and Triangle Assembly Work Station!

Prep Baking Pan:

In between stirrings, prepare a large cookie sheet by brushing with a few drops of Olive Oil or a thin pat of Butter (no more than 1/2 teaspoon) or use a sheet of Parchment Paper.

Prep Phyllo and Work Station:

Dampen a clean kitchen towel and set aside while you unfold the Phyllo Pastry sheets onto a cutting board or the counter top. Immediately cover the Phyllo with the damp towel.

Get out another cutting surface and sharp knife. Set it next to the covered Phyllo sheets, with

the prepared pan on the other side. Place the bowl of Filling and a tablespoon in your work area as well.

Now you're ready for the fun and slightly messy job of assembling the delicious triangles! You might want to have a damp hand towel in the area or wear an apron!

Remove one sheet of Phyllo dough from the damp towel and place it on the cutting surface.

Quickly cover the remaining Phyllo sheets.

Then carefully slice the empty sheet in half.

Scoop out a heaping tablespoon of the Filling onto a lower corner of the Phyllo section.

EVER SO GENTLY, fold the Phyllo at an angle to the other side of the dough, forming a triangular shape.

The first fold will look like this.

If you're a lefty, it might turn the opposite direction!

Now, from this point, you would fold up the filled section of Phyllo dough UPWARD.

The next fold will go LEFTWARD.

DON'T MAKE THE FINAL FOLD YET!

BEFORE MAKING THE FINAL FOLD, brush a bit of Egg White onto the empty Phyllo triangle.

If there's a bit of excess Phyllo dough, trim the

top edge... if you're compulsive like me!

Make the final fold UPWARD to seal the triangle.

Place your first fantastic Triangle sealed side down on the prepared baking pan!

Continue in the same process, making sure to cover unused full sheets of Phyllo dough after removing a new one. This stuff is REALLY DELICATE!

Let's say you've either used up all the Filling and

your Triangles, or you are thoroughly exhausted from your culinary efforts.

The Triangles are beautifully resting on their very own baking pan.

Now brush them gently with the Egg White mixture.

You may choose to brush each Triangles once or twice to coat tops and exposed sides completely.

It's time to bake these beauties! Stick them in the preheated oven for 25 minutes. Then relax and count the minutes until chow-time!

No such luck. If you want a SPECTACULAR DINNER, then it's time to make the Sauce. Sauces are everything, especially in vegetarian and vegan cuisine.

In a small sauce pan over medium heat, saute Garlic in the 2 tablespoons Red Wine. After a minute or two, add the Tomato Sauce and Reserved Liquid from Rehydrated Dried Fruit. Add Cumin. Cover and reduce heat to medium low, cook sauce for 20 minutes and stir occasionally.

Tilt cover to allow steam to escape (but not splatter your stove top and kitchen with sauce!) while slightly reducing and thickening the sauce. If this is not happening so much, stir in a few sprinkles of Vital Wheat Gluten or Wheat Flour.

Reduce heat to low and simmer for remaining five minutes while Triangles are browning beautifully below (or above, depending on your oven placement). And of course, you still need to set the table, or at least get a fork for yourself (these TRIANGLES WILL BE HOT coming out of the oven, my friend!)

BEEP!.. BEEP!.. BEEP!.. BEEP!..

You know what that means... the Sweet & Spicy Triangles are currying your favor and it's ALMOST time to savor!

Turn off the sauce. Turn off the oven. Get a potholder and remove the treasured Triangles onto a cooling rack.

WAIT! Let them cool slightly or you will definitely burn your entire mouth!

Place a few on your plate (it would be proper to serve your family and/or guests at the same time), then spoon a little sauce on each serving.

Always, ALWAYS, test heated foods in small amounts first to save a trip to the emergency room... or just ruining all your hard work!

Then, ENJOY!!!!!