Phyllo Beet Wellingtons and Tilapia with Fresh Mediterranean Tomato Sauce

I'm new to beets. I hadn't really eaten them growing up, and so I also had never sought them out to make for myself. However, at a recent restaurant visit I had the most delicious beet gnocchi. I didn't even know such a thing existed, and was nervous ordering it, but it turned out to easily be the best dish on the menu. This success inspired me to try my hand at beets, and the phyllo beet wellington recipe below is a huge success. It takes a bit of effort, but it's well worth it.

To go with it, I served up some freshly sauteed tilapia topped with a fresh tomato sauce. It's not going to be a thick sauce, but a light, flavorful topping. Spring for some beautifully ripe heirloom tomatoes at your local farmer's market for the best taste. It's worth the extra cost; I promise you won't regret it.

Difficulty: medium-hard (because of phyllo dough!)
Time: 2 hr 15 min
Cost: $20.07

Nutrition and recipe below the jump!



Phyllo Beet Wellingtons
Time: 2 hr 15 min

Ingredients:
1 large red beet (about 1 cup sliced)
1 large golden beet (about 1 cup sliced)
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tbsp fake butter (light)
2 c sliced mushrooms, exotic blend
1/2 tsp rosemary (dried)
1/4 tsp thyme (dried)
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp shallots, diced
1/4 c slivered almonds
2 tbsp red wine
2 oz herbed chevre
12 sheets of phyllo dough
1 egg

Get your oven pre-heating to 400 degees. Discard any excess stems of the beets. Pierce the beets multiple times with a fork, then wrap them in foil. Bake for 1 hr 15 minutes. Then let the beets cool. When you take them from the oven, turn the temperature down to 375 degrees.

When the beets are cool, peel them and slice into 1/4" slices. Put them in a bowl. Drizzle on the olive oil and black pepper. Toss gently to evenly coat.

As the beets are cooling, you can prepare the rest of the filling. Heat a pan over medium high heat. Add the butter, swirling as it melts to coat the pan. Add the mushrooms, rosemary, thyme, garlic, and shallots. Saute for 5-6 minutes, stirring on a regular basis. The mushrooms should darken and become tender. Toss in the almonds, red wine, and 2 tbsp water. Stir nearly constantly and cook for another 1-2 minutes or until the liquid has just about evaporated.

Let the mushroom mixture cool and then add the goat cheese, stirring until combined.

It's now time to turn your attention to assembling your phyllo wellingtons. Lay out one sheet of phyllo dough. (Make sure you cover the rest of the dough so it doesn't dry out.) Spray the sheet with cooking spray. Lay another sheet on top and press down. Repeat this one more time so you have 3 sheets together. Lay a quarter of your red beet (probably 2-3 slices) in the middle of the short edge of the phyllo dough, about 4" from the end. Top with 1/4 of the mushroom mixture (about 1/2 c most likely) and then lay down 1/4 of the golden beet slices on top. Now, fold over the long side of the phyllo dough so your stuffing is covered. Then, fold the 4" border up over the top of your wellington and continue to fold end-over-end until the wellington is fully wrapped. Place on a greased cookie sheet, seams down.

Repeat with the remaining 9 sheets of phyllo dough for 3 more wellingtons.

Lightly beat the egg in a bowl. Use a pastry brush to brush the tops of the four wellingtons with egg. Then, put the wellingtons in the oven and bake for 25 minutes. They should be golden brown on top when they're ready to enjoy.

Servings: 4
Serving size: 1 phyllo wellington
Nutrition: calories 273; carbs 29g; fat 13g; protein 11g; sodium 212mg; iron 11mg

Tilapia with Fresh Mediterranean Tomato Sauce
Time: 30 min

Ingredients:
4 tsp olive oil
3 medium-sized heirloom tomatoes, chopped
1 tbsp dijon mustard
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp fresh chives, diced
1 tsp tarragon (dried)
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 lb tilapia

Heat a pan over medium-high heat. Add 2 tsp of olive oil, swirling to coat. Add the chopped tomato. Saute for 5-7 minutes, stirring frequently. The fresh tomato will fill the pan with nice juices. Add the dijon mustard and garlic. Stir in to combine and then bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and let it simmer for 3 minutes. It'll thicken slightly, but also just develop the flavor a bit more.

Remove from the heat and add the chives, tarragon, and 1/4 tsp black pepper. Cover to keep warm while you cook the fish. (You can cook both at once, however, to avoid this step! That's what I did.)

To cook the fish, heat another pan over medium high heat. Add the other 2 tsp of olive oil, swirling to coat. Add the tilapia to the pan. Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 tsp of black pepper on top. Cook for 3-4 minutes and then flip. Cook for another 3-4 minutes or until fully cooked.

Serve each tilapia fillet with a generous portion of tomato sauce over the top.

Servings; 2
Serving size: 1/2 lb of fish
Nutrition: calories 368; carbs 13g; fat 15g; protein 51g; sodium 309mg; iron 13mg