Artichoke Phyllo Triangles

Phyllo Artichoke Triangles

I actually feel sorry for artichokes.  They aren’t the easiest thing to figure out how to eat, most people don’t know how to cook an artichoke, and the vast majority of these little jewels get pureed into oblivion and buried in a sea of mayonnaise and Parmesan cheese.  Or they play the redheaded stepchild to spinach swimming in the familiar mayonnaise and Parmesan cheese pool.

When vegetables are used in our house, you can actually taste them.  I guess that’s kind of an unspoken rule around here.  You may not be able to pick out their flavor, front and center, but you can taste and feel them in whatever dish I put them in.  It’s a good thing that Craig likes vegetables.  Although, when we first met there were lots of veggies that he had never tried.  So putting on his best child impression, he would tell me that he didn’t like this vegetable or that one.  I have since figured out that when he tells me he doesn’t like a particular food, it means he’s never tried it before.  The vegetables, and fruits, that he was most adamant about not liking he now loves.

I have been on a bit of a phyllo dough kick around here.  It’s usually something I go through in the fall, but this year it’s the winter.  There’s a lot of swearing when I break out the phyllo dough because it’s so fragile and has to be handled pretty specifically, but the end results are worth it.

Oh, and even though I was bashing artichoke dip, the leftover filling from these phyllo triangles can be used as a dip.  (For the record: I’m not against dips – I’m against vegetable dip recipes where you can’t taste the veggies that are in them.)

Relationship Advice

Surprise your special someone with a dinner of just appetizers.  This is how they regularly eat in Spain (they call the dishes tapas).  For dinner you have little plates of lots of different kinds of foods.  Everything is just one or two bites and you share.  Break out a bottle of wine, or a couple bottles of beer and have some fun with it.  Make a couple of things (like the artichoke triangles above) and maybe some meatballs, and a bowl of edamame.  Then pick up some nuts and either grapes or strawberries.  Put everything on its own small plate or bowl and sit on the floor for a casual dinner.  You will get full and you will have fun eating lots of different things.  Since everything is small, you can forgo using silverware and just feed each other with your fingers.  This is bound to have some very positive results.

Makes 24

Ingredients

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Farenheit.

In a food processor, add the artichokes, cream cheese, Parmesan Cheese, lemon juice, garlic and thyme.  Pulse until the artichokes are in small pieces and all of the ingredients are combined.

Add kosher salt and ground black pepper to taste.  Stir to combine.

Carefully peel off 1 sheet of phyllo dough and lay out on your work surface.  Liberally brush it with the melted butter.  Peel off another sheet of phyllo dough and lay on top of the first buttered sheet.  Liberally brush it with butter (you will have 2 sheets of phyllo dough stacked).  Keep unused phyllo dough covered with a damp paper towel.

Using a sharp knife, cut the phyllo (on the long side) into 2 inch wide strips.

Place 1/2 – 1 Tablespoon of artichoke mixture 1/2 inch from the end of the phyllo strip.  Fold up corner into a triangle.  Repeat the fold up the length of the dough strip (just like folding a flag).

As each triangle is folded, place on a parchment paper lined baking sheet, seam side down and brush with melted butter.

Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown.

Technorati Tags: Appetizer Recipes, Easy Cooking, Easy Recipes, phyllo triangles, Relationship Advice, vegetable dip recipes, Vegetarian Recipes

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