Easy Entertaining Meal

• Defrost frozen phyllo in refrigerator over night.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• Brush 6-cup muffin tins with melted butter using pastry brush.
• Unfold phyllo dough onto flat work surface and cover with damp dish towel to prevent pastry dough from drying out.
• Remove top sheet and place on work surface keeping the original pile covered.
• Brush single sheet of phyllo dough with buttered brush, then top with a second layer of phyllo, butter and repeat with a third sheet of phyllo and butter.
• Cut into 6 six inch squares and gently press into muffin tins, allowing the pastry to fall over the edges.
• Brush the inside of the cups with any remaining butter.
• Bake until golden, about 5 minutes.

Glam Factor
The phyllo pastry shells are a beautiful way to present this dinner and provide serious wow factor with little effort. Don’t be afraid to use phyllo pastry—it comes frozen and is simple to use if you follow the directions. We recommend making the cups the day before but be sure to keep them in the muffin tin so they don’t break easily when being stored. Use an extra large muffin tin (with six to a pan). 

• Melt butter in a medium size saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, leek, garlic, potato and carrot and saute until softened. Stir in white wine and chicken stock and simmer for about 15 minutes until vegetables are cooked.
• Shake together in a covered jar, flour, milk, salt and pepper. Pour over the vegetables, stirring constantly, until sauce thickens.
• Add chopped chicken, mushrooms and fresh tarragon to the vegetables.
• Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Cover and set aside to cool if you are making it ahead of time or keep on the stovetop on low heat to keep warm.

• Toss spinach, pomegranate seeds and toasted almonds with your favourite vinaigrette dressing.
• Place salad on the centre of the plate and leave a spot in the middle for the phyllo cup.
• Fill phyllo cup with chicken mixture and place in the centre of the salad.
• Serve immediately.

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Wash beets, but do not peel.
• Wrap beets individually in tin foil and place on middle rack in the middle of the oven.
• Bake for 30–40 minutes or until tender when pierced with a sharp knife.
• Cool, peel, and cut in half, then slice halves into thin slices. Mix together with apple slices and fennel in a salad bowl.
• Combine dressing ingredients and stir gently into salad. Garnish with dill. Serve as an appetizer course with your favourite crusty bread.

Good to Know: This is best made the day before so you have time for the beets to cool. We like to wear rubber gloves and peel over the sink when handling beets as they can be very messy with their dark red juice.