Recently I was perusing Instagram, as one does, and I came across this from Christina Xenos. She’s been a source of great inspiration to me lately:
I nearly died! Doesn’t this look absolutely fabulous?! It’s feta cheese, wrapped in phyllo, and deep fried. Holy heck, I was obsessed. After a little thought, I had the brilliant idea of using Miyokos Mozzarella as the cheese for a vegan appetizer of equal proportion! My Miyokos Phyllo – Phyllo Wrapped Cheese was born.
The Miyokos mozzarella claims to “melt”, but it doesn’t melt quite like real mozz. It does tend to hold it’s shape a bit better than real mozzarella actually, and it reminds me more of a feta, therefore much more tangy. It is a perfect substitute for the feta used in Christina’s appetizer above!
The Miyokos can be a little bit rigid right out of the refrigerator, so we start by pulsing it in a little food processor, to make it more spreadable for our purposes.
This is insanely easy, it should be a friggin’ crime. You layer phyllo, coating each layer with a bit of fat – in this case I used a great olive oil. Then, it’s cheese spreadin’ time!
Note that I’ve left quite a bit of an edge with the phyllo. This is so we don’t get any spillage of cheese while it bakes in the oven. You want to be able to completely wrap that precious cheese, and protect your assets!
Make sure to cut your portions before putting in the oven. That’s how you should always roll with the phyllo. Cut just the top (not the sides, and certainly not the bottom) of the un-baked pastry into 6 little triangles, and cutting will be easier once it’s out of the oven.
Once out of the oven, finish the cuts, remove to a serving platter, and drizzle with the maple, thyme, walnuts and figs! It makes a stunning appetizer that will wow anyone, and contains all the textures in one bite. Crunch from the phyllo and walnut, tang from the cheese, sweet from the maple, and fresh from the figs.
This is definitely going to be my go-to appetizer for any parties in the future! Let me know if you try it – I’d love to know! That Miyokos Mozzarella is just perfect for this. Any excuse to eat cheese, amirite? And just look at those phyllo layers. Texture city, here we come!
Miyokos Phyllo
Equipment
- Food Processor
- Quarter Sheet Pan
- Parchment Paper
Ingredients
- 1 Package Miyokos Cashew Cheese
- 6 Sheets Phyllo Dough
- 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil , Extra Virgin
- 2 Tablespoons Maple Syrup
- ¼ Cup Walnuts , roughly chopped
- 1 Teaspoon Thyme Leaves, fresh
- 1/2 Cup Figs , Fresh, quartered
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400° Fahrenheit, and prepare a small baking sheet by lining with parchment paper.
- Place the cheese in a small food processor, and pulse until the cheese is pliable, stopping and scraping down the sides as necessary.
- On a large surface, lay a sheet of phyllo, and spray or brush with olive oil, making sure to lightly coat the entire surface with oil. I use my hands to make sure it's all spread out. Lay down another sheet of phyllo, and repeat with the oil until you've used all 6 sheets.
- Place the cheese in the center of the phyllo sheets, making a rectangle, about 4 inches by 6 inches wide. You want to make sure that you have enough phyllo on the sides, so that when you fold it over, all of the phyllo is completely covered.
- Place the phyllo packet seam side down on the parchment paper. Spray the top with olive oil ensuring the entire surface has a light coating of oil. With a paring knife, carefully cut into just the top of the phyllo making 6 triangles. Make sure to not cut the sides or bottom, as the cheese will ooze out. This helps with cutting once it's baked and out of the oven.
- Bake for 20 minutes, or until the phyllo is golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool slightly for 5 minutes. Remove to a cutting surface, and finish the cuts on the triangles. Transfer to a serving platter, and drizzle with maple syrup, thyme, walnuts and figs. Enjoy!
Nutrition
Tools Used
WOW that is simply spectacular!
Inspired by Christina Xenos and her trip to Greece! So decadent and simple.
Hi ! I like the receipt that you are sharing, I wonder if i can write this receipt in my blog ,,? Can I copy it ??