Easy Veg Pizza

Phyllo dough has been living in my freezer for way too long, so after many defrostings and refreezings, it finally made its inaugural appearance. I found a simple recipe for veggie pizza using phyllo dough, so I thought I'd try my hand at it. The recipe I used as a guideline is from Good Housekeeping. (Don't judge me. ;)) Instead of pizza, tomatoes, red onion, mozzarella, and parmesan, I topped it with black beans, black olives, tuna, artichoke hearts, and parmesan. I also didn't cut it into rectangles, choosing instead to kept the full sheet intact.

Phyllo dough coated with olive oil

First you have to prepare the phyllo dough by stacking layers of it and oiling the layers in between. Most of the time, people use butter, but I picked the healthier olive oil. (Don't get me wrong. Mama loves her butter, but it's generally reserved for topping popcorn.) You need to bake the shell for about five minutes before adding the toppings, and I cooked the entire pizza for longer than the allotted 3-4 minutes.

Nile Restaurant

I know I'm a little pokey getting to this place, but it's a major enterprise for me to traverse to the west side. So here's my take on it:

The service is attentive without being cloying. The decor is simple with Egyptian hints in the wall embroidery, a camel light that will be mine--oh yes, it will be mine, and pretty red embroidered tablecloths. I started with the satisfying Egyptian split pea soup, which was dusted with Nile's own spice blend. Next came the best falafel I've had in awhile. It was flavorful and fragrant, not greasy and tasteless like some others. (I will be discreet and not name names, but you who you are.) The tabbouleh contained cucumbers, tomatoes, and green peppers and the creamy hummus had just enough olive oil. The sandwich was wrapped in what resembles a tortilla, but was a bit more substantial, like a very thin flatbread. In short, I will return.