Yesil Mercimekli Borek~Green Lentil Pastries

These pastries are much different than your everyday borek. Their presentation is really beautiful. After they bake in the oven they plump up nicely. The lentils and suzme cheese cradles itself around the roasted tomato. They have crispy edges and a soft crusty center. They were really simple to make and preparation time was mostly spent on cooking the lentils. I do encourage you to try these and maybe even change the fillings. This will definitely make everyone ooh and aah! Afiyet olsun!

Recipe

1 box of filo dough # 10
1 egg (white for filling/yellow for coating)
1/2 C yogurt
1/4 C vegetable oil
2 Lr. plum tomatoes (sliced in half, and then slices)
1 C green lentils
1 onion
salt/pepper
1/4 C suzme yogurt (optional) This is yogurt that has been drained of most of it's liquid, similar to a cream cheese but a bit more sour.

What to do:
Boil green lentils in a pan of water and salt until soft. Mix together your yogurt, egg white, and oil in a small bowl. Place parchment paper on a baking sheet. Place egg yolk on separate dish and rub a few drops of water on top to keep from drying out. Dice onion and fry in a small plan. Once lentil are done mix together. Preheat oven to 350. Now unwrap your filo dough and fold in half. Cut off 1/4 inch from top to bottom on the folded side. Cut two angular slices at one end to form the tip of a triangle. (see slide show) With the back of a spoon place a very small amount of yogurt mixture in between to filo sheets, and again on top of the top sheet. Using those two sheets, place a tablespoon of lentils at top, and small dollop of cheese. Fold in both sides and then roll top down. Loosely roll to bottom and secure end. Brush on egg yolk and place a slice of tomato in center. Place on baking try and bake at 350 until brown.

Note: They do not have to be perfectly flat, nor even. Make sure to move quickly and don't add to much yogurt to your dough.

Try and use other fillings also and place other garnishes in the opening, maybe a piece of grilled red pepper or a green onion.