Phyllo Pie with Lemon Tofu and Winter Greens

This dish epitomizes winter for me as much as any hearty stew. The dark leafy greens and carmalized onions and mushrooms, paired with tofu, all wrapped up in a flaky, golden phyllo crust; who could resist. Plus, it leaves you with that satisfied feeling of fullness, without a heaviness that some winter dishes seem to have.

Of coarse, it could also remind me so much of winter, because last year when I first made this dish, we were living in Spokane, and there was 6 feet of snow outside our door! This pie, along with many warm stews is what pulled us through those dark cold days.

This pie is perfect for two, as much as it is if your having a few people over for dinner. It looks impressive, but the only hard part might be dealing with the phyllo dough if you have never worked with it before. The key is to work quickly with the dough once you unwrap it, otherwise it will start to dry out.

If you do make this, my pie might look a little whimpy compared with yours, if you follow the directions below. I cut the recipe in half, after realizing I didn't have enough of the ingredients on hand. But trust me it's worth piling those layers up high, much more impressive seeing the thick layers. This pie can be made vegan, just replace the butter with olive oil.

Phyllo Pie with Lemon Tofu and Winter Greens

Adapted from The Flexitarian Table

serves 6

tofu

1 pound extra firm tofu

zest of 1 lemon

1/3 cup fresh lemon juice

1/4 cup olive oil

3 tablespoons chopped fresh dill

3 garlic cloves, mashed

pinch of red pepper flakes

sea salt

Mash the tofu in a bowl. Add rest of ingredients, stir until combined and set aside.

vegetables

1 1/2 pounds collard green, kale or other leafy green

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 1/2 cup onion, thinly sliced

12 ounces crimini mushrooms, thinly sliced

1/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes, thinly sliced

8 tablespoons butter

8 ounce package phyllo, thawed

paprika for dusting

Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add green and boil for 3-4 minutes, until they turn a bright green. Drain, and set aside to cool.

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions, cook until browned, 3-4 minutes. Add mushrooms and season with salt and pepper. Increase heat and cook, stirring until mushrooms caramelize, about 5 minutes.

Stir in greens and tomatoes. Remove from heat.

Set rack in lower third of oven. Preheat to 400˚

Brush a 10 inch spring form pan or pie dish with butter. Place 5 sheets of phyllo down, brushing with butter between each layer. Don't worry about the extra pieces that hang over, you can trim them off in the end, or fold them over as I did.

Spread the vegetable layer, and cover with 2 more phyllo sheets, buttered in between. Spread the tofu layer and top with 8-10 more phyllo layers, again, brushing with butter between each layer. Brush top with butter. Score into 6 slices, but don't go all the way through the tofu layer. Sprinkle with paprika.

Bake until browned, about 35 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving.