Mushroom and Potato Bourekas

This variation of bourekas is for vegetarians and meat-eaters alike. I developed the recipe after eating bourekas of all flavors, combining several different recipes.

Ingredients:

• 1 medium onion, chopped finely
• 2 T. olive oil
• 6 baby portobello mushrooms, brushed clean and thinly sliced
• 1-2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 3-4 medium red potatoes, boiled or microwaved until just tender
• 1/2 tsp. sweet paprika
• 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. tumeric
• 1/4 tsp. hot pepper flakes, optional
• 1 pound puff pastry sheets
• 1 egg, beaten
• 2 T. sesame seeds

Yield: 18 pastries, approximately 1 1/2 " in diameter

Brown onions in oil. Remove to a small dish, and add mushrooms to the pan. Cook the mushrooms until just tender. Add garlic and brown a little. Remove from the heat, add onions back to the pan. Mash the potatoes, and add the potatoes and spices to the onion/mushroom mixture. Taste the mixture and adjust the seasoning, if needed, adding the optional hot pepper flakes. Roll the dough slightly, and cut into 3" squares. Fill each square with about 1 T. filling mixture, shape into closed, circular bourekas, and place seam down on foil covered pans. Brush with beaten egg, and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake at 400° Fahrenheit for 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown. Pour extra fat off. Serve immediately or cool, refrigerate. To serve, warm in an open pan at 350° until crispy.

When cool, these can be frozen. Be sure to wrap them well, either loosely in freezer bags, or closely packed in one layer enclosed in foil. Once defrosted, they should be warmed in a 350° oven until crispy.