Vegetable Filo Roll Extravaganza

Garlic bread crumbs with a hint of Parmesan cheese adorn layers of crisp thin filo dough wrapped around savory vegetables into a long roll. When you slice the roll, the showy spiral-patterned servings look like the masterful work of a virtuoso. Take your bows and don't let on that it really wasn't a bit difficult. From Moosewood Restaurant Low-Fat Favorites.

• Ready In: 1 hr 20 mins
• Serves: 8

Ingredients

• Filling

• 1  cup  chopped onion
• 1  cup  peeled and julienned carrot
• 1  cup  thinly sliced red bell pepper
• 1  cup  julienned  yellow squash or 1  cup zucchini
• 2  cups  sliced mushrooms (about 7 ounces)
• 1⁄4 teaspoon dried tarragon
• 1  tablespoon  chopped fresh basil (1 tsp. dried)
•  salt & fresh ground pepper

• Seasoned Bread Crumbs

• 1  cup  whole wheat bread crumbs
• 2  cloves garlic, pressed or minced
• 2  tablespoons  finely grated parmesan cheese

• Filo

• 1  tablespoon olive oil
• 1  tablespoon butter
• 12  sheets phyllo dough (1/3 package)
• 1  tablespoon fennel seeds or 1  tablespoon poppy seeds or 1  tablespoon sesame seeds

Directions

1. In a covered nonstick saucepan prepared with cooking spray or 2 tsp.
2. of oil, saute the onions on medium heat for 5 minutes.
3. Add the carrots, cover, and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Stir in the bell peppers and squash or zucchini, cover, and continue to cook for another minute.
5. Add the mushrooms, tarragon, and basil and cook until the mushrooms release their juices and become tender, 5 to 10 minutes.
6. Drain the vegetables and add salt and pepper to taste.
7. Combine the seasoned bread crumb ingredients in a bowl.
8. Melt togerher the oil and butter on very low heat.
9. Prepare a baking sheet with cooking spray or a light coating of oil.
10. Preheat the oven to 350*.
11. Place the bread crumbs and melted butter-oil mixture near the baking sheet and have a pastry brush or small clean paintbrush handy.
12. Work quickly in a draft-free setting because the unoiled filo becomes brittle once exposed to the air.
13. Unfold the stack of filo sheets next to the baking sheet.
14. To assemble the roll, take 3 sheets of filo from the stack and, in one smooth motion, lift all 3 together and lay the stack, unwrinkled, on the baking sheeet.
15. Lightly brush the top sheet with the melted butter-oil mixture.
16. Sprinkle about 1/4 of the seasoned bread crumbs over the filo sheet.
17. Repeat the layers: 3 sheets of filo, melted butter mixture, bread crumbs, until the filo and bread crumbs are completely used.
18. Spread the vegetables evenly on the filo to within an inch of all four edges.
19. Starting at one of the long sides, roll up the filo like a jelly roll, place the finished roll, seam side down, on the baking tray, and tuck in the ends.
20. Brush with the remaining butter mixture and sprinkle with fennel, poppy, or sesame seeds.
21. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until golden and puffed.
22. Serve hot or warm.
23. This would be wonderful served with a good tomato or squash soup, steamed artichokes or asparagus, and a dark chocolate pudding or lemon pudding cake for dessert.
24. Enjoy!