Filo Triangles with Zucchini-Tomato Filling

The following tasty and crispy filo triangles are a quicker version of the Sephardic savory “Boyos” pastries (click HERE for recipe), which require a fairly lengthy preparation of their delicate dough. Here, I’ve used store-bought filo pastry, and filled it with the traditional tasty zucchini-tomato filling, which is also used for making “Burekitas” (click HERE for recipe).
Using this filling, along with brushing the dough with a fragrant mix of olive oil and tahini paste, instead of melted butter, creates a tasty vegan dish, which will delight even hard core carnivores.
The flaky crispy dough pairs beautifully with the filling, and with the nutty flavor of the tahini and sesame seeds. The pastries are so light and tasty, you’ll find it hard to eat just one – a good reason to prepare more! Try them and enjoy.

Notes:
* Defrost the dough slowly, preferably overnight in the fridge. This prevents the sheets from breaking and keeps them pliable.
* Filo dough comes in different thicknesses, which are marked by numbers. Here I’ve used #4, which stands for thin delicate sheets. If you’re still new to using filo, you may prefer using thicker dough (#7).

Makes: 22
Prep time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes
Baking time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:
For the filling:
2 medium zucchini, coarsely grated
1 medium onion, coarsely grated
1 medium tomato, coarsely grated, skin removed
2 Tbs tomato paste
1 tsp salt
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 Tbs light olive oil
For the filo:
¼ cup light olive oil
2 Tbs tahini paste
½ package (½ lbs/227 grams) Filo dough #4 (see notes)
For topping:
Raw Sesame seeds

1. The filling: mix all the ingredients in a large pan and cook over medium-high heat, mixing occasionally, about 20 minutes, until the vegetables are cooked through and the liquids evaporated. Taste and adjust seasoning. Cool to room temperature before using.

2. Preheat the oven to 350F (175C). Line a baking sheet pan with baking paper. Mix the oil with tahini paste.
3. Cut the dough in half, into two rectangles about 6.3” (16 cm) X 9” (23 cm). Cover the dough while working.
4. Place one dough sheet over lightly oiled work surface and brush it lightly with the oil-tahini mixture. Repeat with two more layers. Cut again in half, lengthwise, so you’ll have two large stripes, each of three layers of dough.

5. Place a heaped tablespoon of the filling on each dough strip, as shown in the photo. Fold into triangles (“flag fold”) and place in the pan. Repeat with the rest of the dough and filling. Brush the tops with the oil-tahini mix, and sprinkle sesame seeds over.

6. Bake for about 15 minutes, until the pastries are deep golden-brown. Serve warm.

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