Kabocha Squash, Sweet Potato and Scallion Filo Cups

Ingredients

• 4
  
  Squares of filo pastry (5 sheets of filo pastry stacked and then cut into 5×5 inch squares)
  
• 1.5
  
  cups Kabocha Squash, peeled and diced into small cubes
  
• 1.5
  
  cups Sweet Potatoes, peeled and diced into small cubes (about 1/2 large sweet potatoe)
  
• 4
  
  Scallions, roots trimmed, sliced in half lengthwise
  
• 1/2
  
  tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  
• 1/2
  
  tablespoon Pure Maple Syrup
  
• 1/4
  
  teaspoon Sea Salt
  
• 5-6
  
  sprigs Fresh Thyme, stems removed
  
• 
  
  Neutral Oil or Vegan Butter to brush filo pastry
  

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 180 C (approx 356 F)
2. Place peeled and diced squash and sweet potato in a single layer on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet and top with scallions that have been halved lengthwise
3. Sprinkle with sea salt, drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and maple syrup and sprinkle with fresh thyme leaves
4. Place cookie sheet in the preheated oven.
5. Remove scallions after about 30 min (once the tips start to get slightly crispy, but not burnt) and continue roasting the squash and sweet potato for another 5-7 minutes, until well browned and caramelized.
6. The dark green tips of the scallions will be a little crispy. Slice those off and reserve as a garnish (about 1 inch off the top). Roughly chop the remainder of the scallions (white and green parts).
7. Remove roasted squash and sweet potato from the oven and combine with chopped scallions in a large mixing bowl. Stir to combine, then purée with a hand blender until smooth and creamy.
8. While the veggies are roasting, prepare filo cups. Layer 5 sheets of filo and using a sharp knife cut out four 5 x5 inch squares. Each square will be made up of 5 layers of filo. If you prefer, you can cut out smaller size squares or circles for bite size hors d’ouvres.
9. Cover filo squares with a damp towel or plastic wrap so they don’t dry out. Working with one 5 layer square at a time, brush each layer with melted vegan butter or neutral oil (I used an organic neutral sunflower seed oil).
10. Place prepared filo cups in muffin tins or mini tart pans (I used 4 inch round tart pans) and poke bottom with a fork. Bake for 10-12 minutes, at 180 C, until golden (because oven temperatures vary, be sure to check on your tarts frequently and make sure they don’t burn)
11. Remove filo cups from oven. Divide puréed mixture evenly between the cups, top with crispy scallion tips.
12. If necessary (i.e the purée has cooled too much), place assembled cups in the oven to heat through for 2-3 minutes before serving, being extra careful not to burn the filo.