Tofu-Mushroom Phyllo Parcels with Wine Sauce

A grown-up vegan meal

Once in a while, I like to cook like a grown-up. No bean and rice combos, no macaroni products, no half-hearted stir-frying. Instead, I pull out all the stops (and the pots and pans, and even pointy scissors): defrost the phyllo, sauté button mushrooms, snip fresh basil, and delicately tie up chives.

And occasionally, that actually turns out good.

This was inspired by a recipe in a Simon Rimmer cookbook, full of typical British vegetarian recipes—loaded with dairy and eggs. But everyone knows tofu is an excellent substitute for ricotta cheese, and there are plenty of vegan alternatives to cream cheese. Eggs are rarely as necessary as many would assume. 

Phyllo dough really does take a grown-up pair of hands—or two—to handle, but the filling can be formed by younger hands. Anyone who's tackled a lump of Play-Do can handle that part, which makes this a good grown-up/child meal-making activity. If, that is, your child is old enough to eat wine sauce. (Don't worry; the alcohol burns off.)

For instructions, read on.

Tofu-Mushroom Phyllo Parcels with Wine Sauce

Tofu mixture:
olive oil
2 cups mushrooms, halved and sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 leeks, trimmed, halved and sliced
1/2 lb tofu
1 cup (8 ounces) non-dairy cream cheeze
1 tablespoon chopped chives
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
1/2 teaspoon salt
black pepper

Sauce:
1 bottle red wine
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large red onion, sliced, or 2 small
1 cup chopped mushrooms, sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup vegetable stock
tablespoon margarine

phyllo sheets (18)
1/2 cup melted margarine

Heat enough olive oil in a sauce pan to cover the bottom. Saute the mushrooms until golden, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté 2 more minutes. Empty the mushrooms into a bowl, and, using the same pan, sauté the leeks in another glug of olive oil.

Meanwhile, in a food processor, mix the tofu and cream cheeze until combined. Empty into the bowl with the mushrooms, and add the chopped herbs. Stir to combine, and place in the refrigerator until ready to prepare the packets.

Pour the wine into a heavy stock pot or saute pan. Heat to boiling, then simmer until reduced by  one half (about 15 minutes). Meanwhile, heat the olive oil (in the same pan you cooked the mushrooms/leeks in) and saute the onions and mushrooms in the olive oil—about 15 minutes. Add the garlic in the last few minutes of cooking.

While the wine is reducing, prepare the packets:

Shape the tofu mixture into 6 log-shaped pieces, about 3 inches long. Your hands will be messy—it helps to brush your hands with flour before handling the tofu mixture.  (Try dividing the mixture in half, and then scooping 1/3 of each half to make each log--about 3/4 cup each.) Set the logs aside on a plate.

To handle phyllo dough: Place a piece of waxed paper over the remaining pieces of dough, and over that, a damp tea towel. Remove 1 piece of dough at a time, and each time cover with the waxed paper and tea towel.

Take 1 piece of phyllo dough, and on a flat surface dusted lightly with flour, spread it out and brush with melted margarine. Cover with another piece, and repeat. Cover with a third piece of dough, but brush the margarine only around the edges.

Place one of the tofu "logs" at the short end of the phyllo rectangle, and roll the log over until it's covered with dough. Fold in the sides, folding in the dough down the entire length (the long side). Continue to roll the log in the dough until you reach the end.

Place onto a baking pan (treated beforehand with cooking spray).

Repeat with the remaining sheets of phyllo and tofu logs.

Bake the packets in a 350F/180C oven for 25-30 minutes.

Spread the sauce on the plate, and place a packet on top of the sauce.