Enjoy these puff pastry gems as a mouthwatering appetizer or main dish! Easy to prep, even easier to devour. Savory, cheesy and oh-so-delish!
Puff pastry is an awesome item to keep on hand. I use it to create savory recipes like this Pepperoni Pizza and Vegetable Ricotta Rolls. It also works well with sweeter things like these Turtle Cheesecake Danish Pastries and Fruit Roses. It’s such a versatile ingredient!
I’ve been playing around with different appetizer recipes for the upcoming holidays.
Most of them have been vegetarian, so my dad can participate in the partaking. OZO Foods makes an awesome plant-based ground. It’s jam-packed with 22 grams of protein and works really well in recipes. When I whipped up a batch of this baba ganoush last week (psst: a MUST try), I immediately thought…. wouldn’t this be grand inside a sandwich or stuffed pocket? Voila, this epic combination was created.
INSPIRATION BEHIND THE INGREDIENTS IN THIS PUFF PASTRY:
My mom was born and raised in Bolivia. When I was younger, she used to make these South American Empanadas that were legendary. I truly need to try and recreate them one day; they were my fav! The one ingredient that really made them stand out was golden raisins. Amongst all these savory items there was a pop of sweetness in every other bite. They were so unique; I’ve never had anything quite like them.
Sticking with my vegetarian theme, I decided to stuff these bad boys with a blend of OZO’S Plant Based Ground, baba ganoush, toasted pine nuts, dried apricots and feta. When all these ingredients come together in a flaky, light pastry pocket… man-oh-man are they tasty. If I had some green olives on hand, I might have added those as well.
I’m a firm advocate for dipping sauces.
While these bad boys were baking, I went ahead and whipped up a salty, lemon-y yogurt dip to go alongside. Feel free to adjust where you feel necessary, but I used a cup of 2% Greek yogurt, juice of 1/2 lemon and 2 tbsp. capers. Capers are naturally salty… so mix all three ingredients together, try it, and then add salt + pepper to your own taste preferences.
Once they’re baked to pillowy perfection, sprinkle them with fresh herbs and serve with the caper-lemon yogurt. They’re great as an appetizer or pair them with a side salad for a healthy, fulfilling main dish.
OTHER OZO FOODS RECIPES YOU MIGHT ENJOY:
Super Creamy Mac and Cheese with Flaming Hot Cheetos
Caramelized Onion Burger with Irish Beer Cheese
- 12 oz. OZO Foods Plant-Based Ground
- 2 cloves Garlic, minced
- 1 tsp. Cumin
- ½ cup Pine Nuts
- 8 - 10 Dried Apricots, finely chopped
- 1 cup Baba Ganoush
- ¾ cup Crumbled Feta
- 1 package Puff Pastry, thawed
- 1 Egg Yolk + Splash of Water, whisked together
- Parsley, for garnish
- Sauté OZO's plant-based ground in a large skillet over medium-high heat until crumbly and browned. About for 8 - 10 minutes. Add garlic, cumin and continue to sauté for 1 minute, until fragrant. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Toast the pine nuts in a separate skillet over low heat for 2 - 3 minutes, or until golden. Fold toasted pine nuts and chopped apricots into the plant-based ground mixture.
- Unfold thawed puff pastry onto a floured cutting board. Cut it lengthwise down the middle, then cut into three even parts. You will end up with 6 small rectangles per sheet (there will be 12 total with both sheets).
- Smear six of the rectangles with baba ganoush and top with the plant-based ground mixture and feta. Make sure to leave enough room around the edges to seal the pockets together. Take the other rectangle halves and place them on top. Using a fork or your fingers, gently seal around the edges to create a pocket. You will have 6 in total.
- Preheat oven to 400F. Brush the top of each pocket with the whisked egg wash and bake on a parchment-lined cookie sheet for 25 - 30 minutes, or until golden.
- Immediately transfer pockets to a wire cooling sheet and allow them to rest for 2 - 3 minutes before consuming. Serve with desired dipping sauce and enjoy!
NOTES ON THIS RECIPE:
- It might look like you’re overstuffing the pastries but trust me, you’re not. The pastries puff up while cooking in the oven, creating a larger pocket for the ingredients inside.
- I originally had planned to use golden raisins, but my local grocery store was sold out. So, I opted for dried apricots and they turned out superb! You can use either in this recipe and it’ll taste fab.
- The egg wash at the end is completely optional. Egg yolks mixed with water will give the exterior a golden shine. They’ll still taste the same with or without the egg wash, so I’ll leave that up to you!
- I like to sprinkle mine with herbs for a pop of freshness. Feel free to use parsley, cilantro or even mint!
This post is sponsored by OZO Foods. Per the usual, all opinions here are mine alone and I would never recommend an ingredient that I did not immensely enjoy myself. Thank you for supporting the brands that support SliceOfJess.com!
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