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vegetable strudel with turkey showing the filling.
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5 from 1 vote

Vegetable Strudel with Leftover Turkey

Vegetable strudel recipe made with leftover turkey and served with a simple tomato sauce. And information on working with yufka and filo pastry.
Prep Time1 hour
Cook Time1 hour
Total Time2 hours
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Mediterranean, Turkish
Servings: 8
Calories: 242kcal
Author: Adina

Ingredients

  • 10 filo sheets OR 6 large yufka sheets about 50 cm/ 20 inch long
  • 1 egg
  • 3 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 tablespoon plain yogurt
  • nigella seeds to sprinkle on top
  • For the brushing mixture:
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon plain yogurt
  • For the filling:
  • 12.5 oz cooked turkey pieces OR chicken 350 g, Note 1
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 7 oz zucchini 200 g
  • 1 red bell pepper
  • ½ teaspoon dry oregano
  • 3 garlic cloves
  • 4.5 oz mushrooms 125 g
  • 4.5 oz cooked, vacuum-packed chestnuts 125 g
  • 4 spring onions
  • 1 cup feta cheese, crumbled 100 g, Note 2
  • 1 tablespoon plain yogurt
  • 3 large sage leaves
  • 3-4 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
  • fine sea salt and pepper
  • For the sauce:
  • 1 small onion
  • 1 garlic clove
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • ½ teaspoon ground coriander
  • ½ teaspoon ground cumin
  • ¾ teaspoon red chili flakes more or less to taste
  • 1 ½ cup passata di pomodoro/ tomato puree (not tomato paste), 350 g
  • ¾ cup water 175 ml
  • 1 pinch sugar
  • fine sea salt and pepper

Instructions

Pastry:

  • If using frozen filo pastry defrost overnight in the refrigerator. Yufka pastry is sold fresh or vacuum-packed, so there will be no need for defrosting.

Brushing mixture:

  • Make the brushing mixture by mixing the egg, olive oil, and yogurt in a small bowl. Set aside.

Filling:

  • Meat: If using leftover turkey or chicken, chop it into small pieces. If using fresh turkey or chicken, slice the meat, sprinkle it with salt, pepper, some sweet paprika, and fry in 1 teaspoon olive oil. Take out of the pan and leave to cool while preparing the vegetables.
  • Chop the zucchini and the red bell pepper into small cubes. Set aside together.
    Chop the mushrooms, chestnuts, spring onions into small cubes/rings, but keep them apart from the zucchini and pepper. Grate the garlic.
  • Saute vegetables: Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large pan. Add the zucchini and the bell pepper cubes and cook for about 3 minutes. Add the mushrooms, chestnuts, spring onions, garlic, and dry oregano and continue cooking for 3 minutes. Take the pan off the heat and let it cool slightly.
  • Combine: In the meantime, finely chop the fresh herbs. Add the fresh herbs to the vegetables, crumble the feta cheese into the filling and add the yogurt. Mix well and generously adjust the taste with salt and pepper.

Bake:

  • Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit (200 degrees Celsius). Line a baking tray with baking paper.
  • Brush pastry: If using yufka pastry, place one pastry sheet on the working surface. Using a kitchen brush (silicon), lightly brush the pastry with the brushing mixture. Next, place the second sheet of pastry on top and brush again. Finally, place the third sheet of pastry on top.
  • Fill: Place ½ of the filling at the narrow bottom side of the pastry, leaving some free place at the bottom and on the margins.
  • Fold the margins of the pastry over the filling. Then fold the lower part of the pastry over the folded margins and the filling. Roll the pastry to form a thick “sausage.” Place it on the baking tray.
  • Repeat with the other three yufka pastry sheets to make a second roll.
  • If using filo pastry, place two pastry sheets on top of each other on the working surface. Brush with some of the brushing mixture using a silicone kitchen brush. Place the following two filo pastry sheets on top and brush again. Next, place a single filo sheet on top of that. Add the filling, roll the “sausage” as described above, and make a second roll using the remaining pastry sheets.
  • Brush both rolls with some remaining brushing mixture and sprinkle the rolls with nigella seeds.
  • Bake for about 30 minutes or until deeply golden and crisp.

Tomato sauce:

  • Cook onion: Chop the onion and the garlic very finely. Heat the oil in a medium saucepan and cook the onions and the garlic until translucent.
  • Add the tomato paste and the spices and stir well for about 1 minute.
  • Add passata di pomodoro or tomato puree and water. Stir well and let cook gently for about 20 minutes. Adjust the taste with a pinch of sugar, salt, and pepper.
  • Slice the vegetable strudel and serve with tomato sauce and green salad.

Notes

  1. If you don't have leftover turkey or chicken, you can cook the same amount of fresh turkey or chicken breast.
  2. Feta from a block of cheese, not the already crumbled kind.

Nutrition

Serving: 1slice | Calories: 242kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 72mg | Sodium: 574mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 7g