Spinach, Mushroom & White Bean Strudel

This marks my first time using phyllo dough!!I may be a geek, but this was seriously exciting to me. Somehow, I've always had "fear" of using it. I thought it was just too fragile to work with for someone as clumsy as I can be at times.The verdict is...it's super easy to use. I think it helped that I let the sheets of dough thaw completely before I tried to separate them. I definitely see more strudels in our future!! Possibly a dessert variety next.Here's how I made this one:

Ingredients

• 2 Tablespoons oil
• 1 medium yellow onion chopped
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 2 links vegan sausage, sliced (optional)
• 5 ounces (1 bag) baby spinach (*note: when I re-make this recipe, I will double this)
• 1 can white beans, drained, rinsed and slightly mashed
• 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspon dried oregano
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 6 sheets thawed phyllo dough
• 1/4 cup vegan margarine, melted

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.2. In a saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add onions and garlic and cook until onion is translucent (3-5 minutes).3. Add the mushrooms and cook until they are done "sweating".4. Add vegan sausage (optional - I had some so I used it) and heat thoroughly.5. Add the spinach, cook uncovered, stirring until the spinach is wilted and any liquid is evaporated, 3-5 minutes.6. Transfer all to a large bowl.7. Add the beans,lemon juice, oregano, salt and pepper,stirring to mix well. Refrigerate to cool completely.8. While the veggie mixture is cooling, place 1 sheet of phyllo dough on a piece of parchment paper on a flat surface. Brush sheet with some melted margarine. Top with a second piece of phyllo dough and again brush with margarine. Repeat through six sheets of phyllo.9. Spoon the cooled veggie mixture on top of the sheets and spread the mixture to within 1 inch of the edge.10. Fold in all the edges of the dough.11. Roll the dough and place the roll, seam side down, on a large baking pan (I kept the parchment paper too). Brush the strudel with the remaining melted margarine.11. Bake until golden brown, approximately 20 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before slicing.I happened to have some left-over tomato sauce to put on the side of the strudel. Just something to dip into.YUMMY!My advice...don't be afraid of the phyllo...and, as always,Enjoy,~ Lita