Lamb And Dried Tomato Strudel Recipes

LAMB AND DRIED-TOMATO STRUDEL

Steps:

• Cover stack of phyllo with 2 overlapping sheets plastic wrap and then a damp kitchen towel.
• Make filling:
• In a small bowl pour boiling water over tomatoes and soak 5 minutes. Thinly slice mushrooms. If using brine-cured olives, pit them. Thinly slice olives. Drain tomatoes well and thinly slice.
• In a large heavy skillet heat oil over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking and sauté mushrooms with salt and pepper to taste, stirring, until liquid they give off has evaporated. With a slotted spoon transfer mushrooms to a large bowl. Add lamb to skillet and cook, stirring and breaking up any lumps, until no longer pink. Transfer lamb with slotted spoon to bowl with mushrooms and discard fat. Stir tomatoes, olives, rosemary, basil, and red pepper flakes into lamb mixture and cool 10 minutes. Stir in feta, mozzarella, and salt and pepper to taste.
• Preheat oven to 425°F and lightly grease a large shallow baking pan.
• Stack phyllo between 2 sheets of wax paper and cover with a dry kitchen towel. On a work surface arrange two 20-inch-long sheets of wax paper with long sides overlapping slightly and facing you. Put 1 sheet of phyllo on wax paper and lightly brush with oil. On this, layer and brush 5 more sheets of phyllo in same manner. (Oiled phyllo stack should be 6 sheets thick.)
• Spread half of filling in a 3-inch-wide strip, mounding it, on phyllo 4 inches above the near long side, leaving a 2-inch border at each end. Using wax paper as a guide, lift bottom 4 inches of pastry over filling, folding in ends, and tightly roll up strudel. Carefully transfer strudel, seam side down, to baking pan and lightly brush with oil. Make another strudel with remaining ingredients in same manner.
• Bake strudels in middle of oven 25 minutes, or until golden. Cool strudels to warm in pan on a rack.
• Cut strudels into 1-inch slices with a serrated knife and serve slices warm.

WILD MUSHROOM STRUDEL WITH ARUGULA PESTO

Steps:

• Melt 2 tablespoons butter in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add shallots, tomatoes, garlic, basil, 2 teaspoons thyme and rosemary; sauté 2 minutes. Add mushrooms; sauté until very tender, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat. Season with salt and pepper. Cool.
• Preheat oven to 400°F. Butter baking sheet. Melt 3 tablespoons butter in small saucepan. Place kitchen towel on work surface. Top with 1 phyllo sheet (keep remaining phyllo sheets covered with plastic wrap and damp towel). Brush with melted butter. Top with phyllo sheet; brush with butter. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon thyme. Repeat layering with 2 more phyllo sheets, brushing with butter and sprinkling with remaining 1/2 teaspoon thyme. Top with another phyllo sheet; brush with butter.
• Starting 1 1/2 inches in from 1 long side and 2 inches in from each short side, spoon mushroom mixture onto phyllo in 2 1/2-inch-diameter log parallel to long sides. Fold short sides over filling; brush folded edges with butter. Using towel as aid and starting on long side nearer filling, roll up strudel jelly-roll style. Using spatula, transfer strudel to prepared baking sheet, seam side down. Brush strudel with butter. Freeze 5 minutes.
• Bake strudel until golden brown, about 15 minutes. Cut strudel into slices. Serve with Arugula Pesto.

LAMB CHOPS WITH SUN-DRIED TOMATO BUTTER

Steps:

• Mince and mash garlic to a paste with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Transfer paste to a food processor and pulse with sun-dried tomatoes, walnuts, coriander, cayenne, parsley, and 1/8 teaspoon black pepper until finely chopped. Blend in butter and lemon juice, then season with salt.
• Preheat broiler. Lightly oil rack of a broiler pan.
• Pat lamb chops dry and sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper (total), then broil on rack of broiler pan 4 to 5 inches from heat, turning once, 6 to 7 minutes total for medium-rare. Spread tomato butter over chops.