Chicken and vegetable filo rolls

Recipe By: Azmina Govindji

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serves: 8
yield: 8 phyllo rolls
ready in: 1 hour 10 mins (40 mins Prep - 30 mins Cook)

These filo pastry rolls make an excellent starter, or you could serve two rolls each for a light meal. The filling is a colourful mixture of low-fat minced chicken and plenty of vegetables, with a little smoked ham and fresh herbs to add to the flavour. The rolls are served with a piquant cranberry relish.

Recipe provided by:

Readers Digest | DIABETES Cookbook

ingredients

1 large carrot, about 100 g (3 ½ oz), cut into very fine matchsticks
75 g (2 ½ oz) savoy cabbage, finely shredded
2 spring onions, cut in fine strips
225 g (8 oz) minced chicken
55 g (2 oz) lean smoked ham, finely chopped
½ small onion, finely chopped
2 tbsp fresh white breadcrumbs
2 tsp chopped fresh sage
2 tsp chopped fresh thyme
4 large sheets filo pastry, each about 46 x 28 cm (18 x 11 in)
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
10 g (¼ oz) butter, melted
1 tsp sesame seeds
salt and pepper
Cranberry relish
3 tbsp cranberry sauce
2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp made English mustard
To serve
115 g (4 oz) mixed salad leaves

preparation method

Blanch the carrot, cabbage and spring onions in boiling water for 1 minute. Drain, then plunge into a bowl of cold water to refresh. Drain again and pat dry with kitchen paper. Put the vegetables in a large mixing bowl with the chicken, ham, onion, breadcrumbs, herbs and seasoning. Mix together well, then set aside.
Preheat the oven to 190°C (375°F, gas mark 5). Halve each filo pastry sheet lengthways and then trim to a strip measuring 36 x 12 cm (15 x 5 in). Mix the oil and butter together.
Brush one pastry strip lightly with the butter mixture. Place an eighth of the filling at one end, shaping it into a sausage. Roll up the filling inside the pastry, folding in the long sides as you go, to make a spring roll-shaped parcel. Place on a baking sheet and brush with a little of the butter and oil mixture. Repeat to make another 7 parcels.
Score 3 diagonal slashes on top of each parcel. Sprinkle the sesame seeds. Bake for 30 minutes or until the pastry is golden.
Meanwhile, put all the relish ingredients in a screw-top jar, season and shake well.
Arrange the mixed salad leaves on serving plates, place a filo roll on each and drizzle around the relish.

Another idea

For Greek-style chicken parcels, cook 30 g (1 oz) long-grain rice for 12 minutes or until just tender; drain and rinse. Meanwhile, soften 1 finely chopped onion in 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil for 5 minutes, then set aside. Put the rice and onion in a bowl with 225 g (8 oz) minced chicken or turkey, 2 tbsp toasted pine nuts, 2 tbsp raisins, 2 tbsp chopped fresh mint and 2 tbsp chopped fresh dill. Season to taste. Mix together well and divide into 8 equal portions. Cut the sheets of filo pastry into 8 strips as before. Brush each strip lightly with the olive oil and butter mixture, and put one portion of the filling at one end. Fold the pastry over the filling into a triangle. Continue folding down the pastry strip to make a triangular-shaped parcel. Brush all the parcels with the butter and oil mixture, and scatter over 1 tsp poppy seeds. Bake for 30 minutes.

Plus points

Unlike most other types of pastry, filo contains very little fat – in 100 g (3 ½ oz) filo there are 2 g fat and 300 kcal. The same weight of shortcrust pastry contains 29 g fat and 449 kcal.

Each serving provides

Useful source of vitamin A, vitamin B6.