Apples, sweet potatoes, almonds, ginger and mint come together in this vegan filo triangle.
When I first considered spending a week on apples, I didn’t think I’d invent any recipes. Apples are ancient and well-loved–I expect a rather large and heavy volume could be comprised of apple recipes. And there still would be more. I looked forward to unearthing long-forgotten apple recipes and reviving them.
However, once I had the apples in my hand, ideas began to flit through my head. Apples, in a way, are simple–a good apple has a nice mix of tart, sweet and crunch. Its taste is distinctive, but it plays well with others. While Americans often think of apples and cinnamon in apple pie and apple sauce; apples do well with ginger and mint and can show up during the first part of dinner as well as after.
These filo packets make a lot out of a little. While I find working with filo a bit of a pain, once made, these triangles can be tossed in the freezer and baked as needed. They make a good appetizer, but I also like these triangles as a mindless dinner–four triangles and a salad does it for me. The apples and sweet potato give them an autumnal quality–so much so, that I would bring them to a Thanksgiving-themed buffet, particularly since they’re easy to carry.
I’ve used coconut oil instead of butter to make these packets vegan, but butter would certainly work as, I suppose, would margarine, but I don’t like foods, in general, that pretend to be something else, so I don’t use it. Coconut oil, being solid at room temperature, creates the necessary flakiness for filo. It doesn’t have a lot of taste, so I’ve found adding salt to the melted oil helps for this.
Apple, Sweet Potato Triangles
1 medium sweet potato, peeled and chopped
2 medium apples, peeled and chopped
1/4 c almonds chopped
1 shallot, chopped small
2 T citrus marmalade (I used lemon, but other flavors will do)
1 T fresh mint
1 t. fresh ginger, grated
salt
pepper
lemon juice (optional)
1/2 c. coconut oil
1 package filo (app. 20 sheets)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Make sure that the apples and sweet potatoes are chopped into small, fairly equal pieces. You don’t have to be precise about this, but you want them to kick at the same rate. Put them in a bowl and mix in almonds, shallots, mint, ginger, salt and pepper to taste. Then stir in marmalade. Check again–if your marmalade is sweet, add lemon juice. This can be done ahead of time, just cover refrigerate, the marmalade will help it keep the apples from turning brown.
When ready to assmble, open the filo package. Use a damp dishcloth to cover the unused filo while working. Meanwhile melt the coconut oil and salt it lightly. (I usually do this in the microwave.) Carefully lay down one sheet of filo and brush with melted coconut oil, cover with another sheet of filo, brush and repeat until you have five sheets–do *not* oil the fifth sheet. Instead, near the long bottom of the sheet, place five teaspoons of filling equal distances apart and cut into five equal strips. Fold the bottom corner so that it covers the filling, then fold along the triangle’s hypotoneuse so that the middle corner of the triangle reaches the corner opposite of it. You are folding it like a flag, continue doing this until the strip of filo is completely folded. Continue doing this until the filo is used up. You should have about 20 triangles. The triangles can be baked or frozen at this point.
Place triangles on baking sheet and brush tops with melted coconut oil. Pop into oven and bake for 25 minutes if fresh, 45 minutes if frozen.
Serve warm. Makes 20-24 triangles.
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