Phyllo, pronounced feelo, is a type of dough which resembles like a thin sheet of paper that is unraised and raw. It is widely used in the Middle Eastern countries, Indian, and Greek foods, and is quickly becoming popular across the world. Phyllo dough appetizers are great for any occasion. Prepare them for birthdays, anniversaries, or just spice up your daily meals, these recipes make the best addition to any ethnic foods. The recipes mentioned below will definitely make you want to reach out for a second helping. Yummy Appetizers Made in a Jiffy Preparing delicious and easy appetizers is not something to worry about. Try these recipes for appetizers the next time someone is celebrating their birthday, anniversary, dinner party, and/or any special occasion. Potato Samosas Ingredients

• 2 large potatoes, cubed
• 1 cup Monterey Jack cheese
• 1 roll phyllo dough, defrosted
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon ghee
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
• ½ teaspoon red chill powder
• ½ teaspoon coriander powder
• ¼ teaspoon garam masala
• ¼ teaspoon turmeric
• Salt for taste

Procedure Before we begin, preheat the oven at 375ºF. To make the filling for the samosas, add ghee to a skillet and once it's hot, mix cumin, cubed potatoes, turmeric and red chili powder, and salt. Cook it for 10 - 15 minutes by placing a lid on top. Then add coriander powder and garam masala, and finally cilantro. Do a taste test and add more seasoning according to your liking. Cook for another 5 minutes and remove from heat to cool. Take the defrosted dough and roll each sheet out. Make 3 even sections and cover them with a clean damp cloth. This will prevent the dough from drying. Pour some olive oil in a bowl, take a pastry brush and pat each sheet with a little bit of oil. Place 3 oiled sheets on top of each other and place 1 or 1½ tablespoons of potato filling and little bit of cheese on the top or bottom edge. Fold the dough in a triangle shape, like a flag and seal the edges with some oil. Lightly brush oil on the top of each samosas. Place the samosas in the oven and bake them for about 10-15 minutes. When the tops of each samosas turn golden brown, take them out of the oven and serve it hot with mint chutney. Cheesy Chicken Pockets Ingredients

• 15 phyllo dough sheets
• 3 cups chicken breasts, cooked and diced
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 jalapeño pepper, chopped
• 1 cup Cheddar-Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
• 1 dash hot pepper sauce
• 1 egg, beaten
• ½ package cream cheese
• ½ red onion, chopped
• ¼ cup vegetable oil
• Cooking spray
• Salt and black pepper, for taste

Directions Preheat the oven at 350ºF. In a skillet, heat the vegetable oil and keep the stove on medium heat. Add onion, jalapeño, and garlic in the oil and let it turn tender. After that add salt and black pepper; make sure you don't add too much just yet. Now in a bowl, mix chicken pieces, cheese, cream cheese, hot pepper sauce, and the cooked onion mixture. Combine all the ingredients properly and let it sit on the side. Next, you will need to apply cooking spray on the phyllo sheets. Take 5 in the beginning and stack them on top of one another. With a sharp knife, cut them into 4 even squares. Take a big spoon and place the chicken mixture in the middle. Fold the sheets and seal the edges. Follow the same direction for the other sheets as well. Now take the beaten egg and brush it on top of the pockets. Apply cooking spray on a baking sheet and arrange the pockets, leaving some space in between. Bake the chicken pockets for about 15 minutes and serve warm. Shrimp Salad Ingredients

• 1 lb shrimp, cooked, peeled, and finely diced
• 1 package frozen miniature phyllo cups
• ½ cup celery, finely diced
• 1 ½ tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• ½ cup mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon green onion, minced
• Parmesan cheese
• Salt and pepper for taste

Procedure Preheat the oven at 350ºF. For the shrimp salad, take a bowl and add cooked shrimp, green onions, and celery. In a separate bowl, whisk mayonnaise, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Pour the dressing over the shrimp salad. Now take each mini phyllo cup and fill them with the shrimp salad. You can grate some Parmesan cheese on top. Greek Spinach Triangles Ingredients

• 20 oz spinach, chopped
• 8 oz cream cheese, cut in chunks
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 cup margarine
• 1 package phyllo pastry
• ½ lb feta cheese
• Black pepper, for taste

Directions Preheat the oven at 375ºF. In a pot of hot water, boil spinach for a few minutes and then drain. Place in a bowl and add eggs, black pepper, feta cheese, cream cheese, and onion. Mix properly and keep inside the refrigerator for 1 hour. Next, place the phyllo pastry on the workstation and cut them into 2" strips. Place a damp cloth on top so that the pastry doesn't turn dry. Take 2 sheets and brush with margarine. Spoon the spinach mixture in the middle and fold it diagonally (to make the triangle). On a buttered baking sheet, place the triangles when ready. Place the baking sheet inside the oven and cook for about 20 minutes. Once the spinach triangles are ready, serve warm. Phyllo-wrapped Meatballs w/Spinach Ingredients

• 1 cup blue cheese, crumbled
• ¼ cup dried tomatoes, packed in olive oil, chopped
• ½ small onion, sauteed in butter
• 3 herb seasoning
• Salt and pepper for taste
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• Phyllo pastry sheet
• 3 tablespoons butter, melted
• 8 oz sour cream
• 1 ¼ oz French onion soup mix

Preheat the oven at 350ºF. Take a mixing bowl to combine ground beef, dried tomatoes, sauteed onions, blue cheese, seasoning blend, salt, and pepper. Make small, round balls and fry the meatballs with 1 teaspoon of olive oil. Drain the meatballs and place them on the side. Take the sheets and cut them into 2 inch square pieces. Each meatball will go in that 2 inch square. Fold the edges and twist on the top to seal the sheet. The meatballs go on the baking pan and bake for 15 minutes. Serve hot. You can basically make variety of appetizers with different filling such as cheese, potatoes, spinach and feta cheese, chicken, nuts and syrup, jelly or jam (for the sweet tooth), vegetables, and meat. You can also make various pastries with phyllo dough as well. And yes, don't confuse this dough with puff pastry. Enjoy!