Vegetable Ladder Loaf

Ingredients:

• 2 medium red, yellow, or orange sweet peppers
• 1 1/2 cups spinach -- firmly packed
• 1/2 cup fresh basil -- firmly packed
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese -- grated
• 1 garlic clove
• 1 egg -- beaten
• 1 package puff pastry -- thawed
• 1/4 cup pine nuts or slivered almonds -- toasted
• 2 tbsps bread crumbs

Preparation:

• 1.
• Roast peppers and remove skin.
• Cut into strips.
• 2.
• Combine spinach, basil, Parmesan cheese, and garlic in food processor and p ulse until well combined.
• Add 1 tablespoon of the beaten egg and process till nearly smooth.
• 3.
• Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or plain brown paper.
• Unfold s heets of pastry.
• Put one sheet of pastry on a baking sheet.
• Brush pastry with some of egg.
• Sprinkle half of bread crumbs in 3 inch strip down center of pas try.
• Spread half of spinach-basil combination on top of bread crumbs to within one inch of ends.
• Sprinkle with half of the nuts.
• Arrange half of pepper str ips evenly over filling.
• 4.
• On both sides of filling make 3 inch cuts from the edges toward the center at 1 inch intervals.
• Starting at one end, alternately fold opposite strips of dough at an angle across filling.
• 5. Repeat with other half of ingredients. 6. Brush each pastry with beaten egg. 7. Bake at 425¼ for 25 minutes or until puffed and golden brown. Serve warm. Cut each pastry