LAFFlines #14: If you’re ‘appy and you know it…
Stuffed Filo Triangles: To quote the Genie from Aladdin, “Big cosmic powers in an itty bitty living space.”
If you’re ‘appy and you know it…stir it up. As in, put on Bob Marley…stir up some LAFF with hummus…and revel in scrumptious appetizers.
LAFF Stacks: Stir 1 cup LAFF protein crumbles with ½ cup balsamic caramelized onion hummus and 1 tablespoon balsamic glaze. Slice a cucumber into disks the thickness of a CD case or single subject notebook or, sigh, an iPhone (one of the thinner models). Spoon about 1 tablespoon of the LAFF-hummus mixture on each disk. Garnish with pickled red onions. No shame buying the hummus and pickled onions. No need to strictly measure. No limit on flavor combinations or other stir-ins. Example: Stir 1 cup LAFF protein crumbles with ¾ cup lemon beet hummus with ¼-½ cup shredded carrots.
Stuffed Filo Triangles: Stir 1 cup LAFF protein crumbles with ¾ cup roasted red pepper hummus and ¼ cup sliced and diced roasted red peppers (again, no shame in using jarred, store-bought peppers). Use a pastry brush to thinly coat one sheet of filo dough with olive oil (see photos at the bottom of the post). Slice the filo sheet into 5-6 strips. Spoon 1½ - 2 tablespoons of the LAFF-hummus-peppers mixture into the lower corner of one strip. Fold the filo strip from bottom to top using the triangle method (see below). Brush olive oil on the outer sides. Set the filo triangle on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Do the same with the rest of the filo sheet AND one more sheet of filo, for a total of 10-12 filo triangles. Bake at 350 degrees for 12 minutes. Flip over the triangles and bake for another 12 minutes, or until the outsides are tawny and flakey. Let the triangles cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to serving dish. Roasted red pepper flavor is Steve’s favorite version of these triangles. Mine: LAFF + everything bagel hummus + diced (oil-packed) sundried tomatoes.
Filo tips:
Buy frozen filo and thaw in the fridge overnight.
Have a dish towel at hand to dry your fingers as you oil, fill, and fold.
Hustle but don’t hurry—the filo does start drying out, so keep on moving.
The triangle folding is easier to do than to describe; give it a go—you’ll find a rhythm and be just fine.
Don’t stress about cracks in the filo; the folds will cover them up. Stay calm, fold on.
While you stir, stack, and fold, here’s a Spotify LAFFkitchen playlist to keep you in the flow: LAFFkitchen bEATS.
Note: Swimcoachabby is the name of the Spotify account on which you can find the playlist “LAFFkitchen bEATS.”
No Spotify? Click on the links below to hear a song on YouTube.
Balsamic LAFF Stacks: Sweet zing with the perfect balance of creamy and crunch.
Stir it up: LAFF + lemon beet hummus + grated carrots.
Stack it up and, BOOM: Super Bowl appetizer, mid-afternoon snack, or pre-workout boost.
Stir it up – Bob Marley I Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch) – Four Tops American Pie – Don McClean The Worse Pies in London – Angela Lansbury Eat It – Weird Al Yankovich Buttered Popcorn – Diana Ross & The Supremes Raspberry Beret - Prince Hungry Eyes – Eric Carmen Savoy Truffle – The Beatles The Candy Man – Sammy Davis, Jr. Coconut – Harry Nilsson Banana Boat – Harry Belafonte Banana Pancakes – Jack Johnson Let’s Call the Whole Thing Off – Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong Do the Mashed Potato – James Brown Mashed Potato – The Ronnettes Vegetables – The Beach Boys Tangerine – Led Zepplin Honey Honey – ABBA Ice Cream – Sarah McLachlan Jam Side Down – Status Quo Soul Cake – Sting
Where to Find LAFF
Ummm, must you sing?
Roanoke Co+op (Grandin location)
Eats (Blacksburg)
Eastern Divide Brewery: Ask to add LAFF protein crumbles to a salad or the vegan protein bowl.
Online store: Delivery is free in the New River Valley.
Email: Email me at hello@laffkitchen.com if you prefer to pay by check or cash, OR if you have any trouble with the online store.
Last Note
If you could listen to only one song for the rest of the year, what would it be?
I’d go with Louis Armstrong—“What a Wonderful World.” No, the sky is not always blue. But there ARE things to be ‘appy about.
Cheers,
Abby
P.S. Have a song to add to the LAFFkitchen bEATS playlist? Email it to me at hello@laffkitchen.com, and I’ll add it on Spotify.
