These versatile, tasty tartlets make a great first course or served over greens for a light meal. For parties and holidays, use a mini muffin pan and turn them into one-bite wonders! For easy entertaining, make ahead, freeze in the pan and cook after thawing in the refrigerator overnight. This is a delicious kidney-healthy, kidney-friendly appetizer.
If you have kidney disease, one serving is very low in potassium, low sodium and low sugar. Bring them to a holiday party to ensure that you have something safe to eat. And, check out my blog about navigating the holidays if you have kidney disease.
Due to its paper thin quality, phyllo dough tends to dry out quickly and become brittle. Avoid this by working quickly and keeping the dough covered with a damp tea towel while assembling.
Dr. Blake’s Top Tip: This dish pairs perfectly with the homemade tzatziki sauce from my cookbook.
- Yield: 12 Servings 1x
Ingredients
2 eggplants
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
1 tablespoon tahini
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley, plus more for serving
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro, plus more for serving
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint, plus more for serving
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup reduced fat, low sodium feta crumbles
Zest of 1 lemon
Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more for pan
12 sheets phyllo dough, thawed
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
Instructions
1 Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Place eggplants on the pan and prick with a fork. Bake until tender when pierced with a paring knife, about 45 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 375°F.
2 When eggplants are cool enough to handle, split them in half and remove the flesh using a large spoon. Rough chop the eggplant flesh and place in a strainer set over a bowl. Set aside and allow excess water to drain while preparing the remaining ingredients.
3 Combine the drained eggplant, walnuts, tahini, parsley, cilantro ,mint, garlic, feta, lemon zest and salt and pepper to the drained eggplant, folding to combine.
4 Brush a 12-cup muffin pan with olive oil, set aside. Working with six sheets of phyllo at a time, lightly brush one sheet of dough with olive oil and top with another sheet. Repeat this process stacking the remaining four sheets on top. Cut the stacked rectangle into six squares. Place each square in the prepared muffin cup and cover with a damp tea towel. Repeat the process with the remaining six sheets of dough.
5 Place a tablespoon of the eggplant mixture in the center of each cup. Fold the corners of the dough towards the center to enclose. Brush with olive oil and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
6 Bake until golden brown, about 40 minutes, rotating pan halfway through baking. Allow to cool in the pan for 5 minutes before removing. Transfer to a serving platter, garnish with fresh herbs and serve warm.
Notes
- Low Potassium
- Low Protein
- Low Sugar
Serving Size is One Pastry
