For The Love of Baklava!

For The Love Of Baklava!

With beach weather already washing over us, the time could not be more perfect to start making the healthier choices you’ve always wanted to do for you and your family. What better way to start than with our easy, vegan , health conscious version you can make in the comfort of your own home? Whether you are looking to treat yourself, top off a family meal in style or celebrate a special occasion, nothing will hit the spot quite like baklava. What is Baklava? From its thin, flaky pastry and decadent filling of nuts and spices to that perfect drizzle of Cappadona Ranch Mesquite Bean Jelly on top, baklava is as close as your taste buds will get to heaven on earth. We replaced the butter normally used in this recipe for olive oil in favor of using good fats.

While everyone from the Greeks to the Turks to the Armenians claim to have been the first to make baklava, it appears that credit must go to the Assyrians of Mesopotamia (a region comprising modern-day Iraq, Syria, Iran and Turkey). Scholars believe that this magical moment in human history took place around the 8th Century BC, with the first baklavas made in rather rustic conditions and baked in wood-fired ovens. But does it really matter who lays claim to making this tasty treat first? Not to us, we just love to eat it.

If baklava’s amazing taste isn’t enough for you, it also comes with a variety of health benefits making it yet another example that tasty and healthy do go together. Walnuts, pine nuts and almonds are high in unsaturated fat (which can help to control cholesterol) and are a great source of vitamin E, copper, magnesium and folic acid. Baklava’s phyllo pastry is low in calories and free from both trans-fat and saturated fats, while that syrupy drizzle of Cappadona Ranch Mesquite Bean Jelly can aid in controlling blood sugar levels. So when is the best time for baklava you ask? Any time! In fact, we dare you to start baking now.

Cappadona Ranch Baklava

Ingredients

1 jar Cappadona Ranch Mesquite Bean Jelly (chili pequin jelly for spicy!)
5 ounces Pecans
1 ½ teaspoon cinnamon
1 ½ teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons breadcrumbs
2 teaspoons Cappadona Ranch Mesquite Bean Flour
1 teaspoon olive oil plus extra for brushing
6 sheets of phyllo

Directions:

Preheat oven at 350 degrees F
Pour the jelly in a saucepan, boil for 2 minutes to make it syrupy.
In a food processor pulse the pecans, cinnamon, sugar, breadcrumbs and olive oil, until grainy.
Spread the phyllo sheet and brush with a bit of olive oil, place a second sheet on top of the first and brush with olive oil. Repeat with the third sheet. You will have 3 sheets stacked on top of each other.
Cut the sheets crosswise in half. Then cut each piece in 3 rectangles.
Place 1 big tablespoon of the filling on the short side of each piece.
Fold the sides in, like a burrito and roll tightly into thin logs.
Place in a pan tightly lined up.
Repeat with the other 3 phyllo sheets.
Brush lightly with olive oil and bake until phyllo turns golden, about 30 minutes.
Remove from oven and immediately pour the cold syrup over them.
Let the rolls sit for at least an hour before serving, so the syrup will soak in.
Store at room temperature, covered.

For The Love of Baklava!

For The Love Of Baklava!

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