Guest Blogger: Vegan Version’s Sigara Borrek

This post is courtesy of Vegan Version. You can read about Lee’s Blog here. Hope you enjoy this vegan delight!

Growing up in a Middle Eastern family I was exposed to many great foods at a very young age.  My Father is from Beirut, Lebanon and my Mother learned to cook authentic Middle Eastern food from my Grandmother and Aunts. And, I was lucky enough to have my Mother teach me.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Borek was something we often had at family gatherings. I would snack on them all day long – to the point that I was not usually hungry when dinner was served.  They can be made in many variations; the ones we had were usually cheese filled.  They are such a wonderful treat and I have not had one since going vegan.

I decided that there must be a way to replicate these wonderful snacks so I set out to concoct a recipe of my own.  Tasting these brought me straight back to my childhood.  They taste great, a crispy, flaky outside and creamy, cheesy inside. As far as I remember, they are very close to the original.

Many people are intimidated by phyllo dough- don’t be. Even though it is delicate it is actually pretty forgiving to work with. And the end result is always so pretty!

Sigara Borek
10 oz vegan cream cheese, sofened (I used Tofutti brand)
1/2 cup Daiya Mozzarella Shreds
1/2 cup parsley, chopped
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup non dairy milk (I used So Delicious Unsweetened Coconut)
Salt and pepper to taste
3 sheets phyllo dough* thawed according to package directions

Preheat oven to 430 degrees.

Mix the cream cheese, Daiya, parsley, salt and pepper in a bowl. Stir until well incorporated. Set aside.

Mix the olive oil and non dairy milk together and whisk to incorporate.

Take the phyllo sheets, still stacked and cut them in half.  Then cut each half diagonally to create two even sized triangles. Take one  phyllo triangle and lay it on a flat surface with the short side closest to you.  Place a tablespoon of the cheese mixture toward the bottom of the short side of the triangle and spread until it almost reaches the outside corners.  Fold the corners in around the filling and roll the sheet until it creates a cigar shape. Seal the tip of the cigar with a little bit of water. Place on a lightly greased baking sheet. Brush liberally with the olive oil and non dairy milk mixture. Repeat until all triangles of phyllo are used.

Bake at 430 degrees for about 15 minutes or until the phyllo is golden brown.

Serve hot or warm.

*Note: when working with phyllo be sure to keep the sheets you are not working with covered with a damp towel so it does not dry out.

Blog Review: Vegan Version

Brought up by a father from Lebanon and an American mother, Lee is the woman behind the blog Vegan Version. She is a wife, a mother to two children (9 and 13), a doggy mum to a beautiful bull dog Bertha and has been vegan since 2009. She has described herself as “doing my best to be an ethical vegan; try to make the best choices I can even if I am not always perfect.”  Sounds like an honest description and that’s what counts the most. Please welcome Lee!

Lee makes a variety of vegan food from desserts – Coffee infused Chocolate truffles, to Mushroom Pie quiche , to casseroles – Poblano Enchilada Casserole to a wonderful traditional food called Sarma. What’s Sarma you ask?

According to Wikipedia:
Sarma is a dish of grape, cabbage or chard leaves rolled around a filling usually based on minced meat. Of course Lee has made a vegan version and you can click here for the recipe.

Take a look around Lee’s great blog, she has so many different recipes and they’re sure to be a hit!