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For an appetizer with friends, as a starter or as a main course with a salad, these delicious cigars filled with grilled zucchini, feta and fresh herbs are the quick and easy way to treat yourself! Vegetarian, they're as crunchy as they are delicious.
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💙 Why you'll love them
- They're super-simple to prepare: just quickly sauté the zucchini, mix with the other ingredients, then fold the cigars and bake for a few minutes.
- They can be combined endlessly with anything you like!
- You can vary the cooking methods: I like to bake them in the oven, but you can also pan-fry or deep-fry them.
- All you need isa handful of ingredients, which are very easy to find and use.
- They can be kept for several days, frozen and prepared in advance (ideal for batch cooking)!
- They can be enjoyed at different times of the meal: as an aperitif, starter or main course.
🧀 Ingredients
These are the main ingredients, and the quantities can be found in the recipe card below.
- Fillo pastry sheets, also called phyllo dough
- Zucchini: green, yellow or white. It's peak season from May to October, so make the most of it!
- Herbs: thyme, mint, chives and basil. You can have them fresh, frozen or dried (I just recommend avoiding dried basil, which I never find very good).
- Garlic - if you want to choose your garlic carefully so you do not encourage the slavery of Chinese prisoners, read my Eco Tips on the subject.
- Feta cheese, which you can substitute with any cheese you like, such as goat's cheese.
- Spices: paprika and cumin.
✅ Vegan and dairy-free version
To make this recipe vegan and dairy-free, simply buy dairy-free feta cheese (yes, there is such a thing!).
👩🏻🍳 Chef's tips
- Leave the zucchinis to cool, otherwise you risk soaking your fillo pastry sheets.
- Don't put too much filling in each sheet of fillo pastry, otherwise you won't be able to close them and they may open up during baking.
💡 Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can make them up to 3 days in advance. Store them in an airtight container in the fridge, and to reheat them, put them in the fridge for a few minutes at 320°F/160°C.
You have many options for recycling your filling: put it in a green salad, or create a mixed salad by adding other vegetables (such as cherry tomatoes), starches (quinoa, for example) and vegetable or animal proteins.
You can also use this filling in stuffed tomatoes, stuffed eggplants or stuffed mushrooms.
Place the filling on pieces of puff pastry to make mini puff pastries or mini tarts for the appetizer.
Finally, you can put your filling on bread to make toast or a sandwich.
Yes, I like to bake them for a healthier recipe, but you can also fry or pan-fry them in a generous drizzle of olive oil.
❄️Storage / freezing
You can store these cigars in an airtight box in the fridge for around 3 days.
If you've made too many, you can freeze them cooked: once cold, place them on a plate in the freezer without touching for around 2 hours. Once they have been pre-frozen, you can place them in a freezer bag and store them for 3 to 4 months.
To defrost, pop them in the oven or frying pan for a few minutes.
😋 Other gourmet samosas
If you make this zucchini fillo cigars, it would be so nice to leave me a comment and rate the recipe ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. You can also tag me on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook or Tik Tok, or even send me a photo, I love seeing my little dishes in your homes!
📖 Recette
Zucchini fillo cigars (with feta cheese)
Ingredients
- 5 ¾ cups zucchini
- 3 tablespoons thyme
- 1 large garlic clove
- 1 ⅛ cups feta cheese
- 2 tablespoons mint
- ¼ cup chives
- 5 tablespoons basil
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 8 fillo pastry sheets also called phyllo dough
- 2 tablespoons butter
- Some honey
Instructions
- Wash your zucchinis and then cut them into thin slices. In a pan over high heat with a drizzle of olive oil, sauté them for 15 to 20 minutes with thyme, finely minced garlic, salt, and pepper. Stir often to prevent sticking.
- Next, let the zucchinis cool. Meanwhile, finely chop the herbs and mix them in a bowl with the feta.
- Preheat your oven to 390°F/200°C in conventional mode (top and bottom heat), then assemble the cigars: cut a fillo pastry sheet in half. Place a little filling at one end of the half-sheet (not too much, otherwise, it will be difficult to roll and close) and add a small drizzle of honey. Fold the side edges inward to cover the filling and roll it tightly to form a cigar.
- Repeat the process until all the ingredients are used. Brush the cigars with a brush and the butter you have melted beforehand, then bake them for 12 minutes at 390°F/200°C until they are golden brown.
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