Lunch: Yummy Mummy

Ingredients

2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon dried leaf oregano
1 tablespoon dried thyme
Parchment paper
1 cup ricotta, drained
1 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, a couple of handfuls
1/2 pound fresh mozzarella, small dice
A handful of chopped flat-leaf parsley, a couple of tablespoons
1 egg yolk, beaten
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
Few grinds black pepper
1 teaspoon Essence, recipe follows
1/2 pound thinly sliced prosciutto, about 10 slices
6 sheets phyllo dough, from frozen foods aisle of your market
1/2 stick melted butter
Black olives, for eyes
Red and green bell peppers, to cut into Egyptian shapes to decorate the mummy

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place parchment paper on baking sheet. Mix together cheeses, parsley, egg yolk, garlic, pepper and Essence. Lay out the prosciutto on a flat surface so it overlaps slightly. It should create a surface that is about 12 to 13 inches long. Place the cheese mixture in the center of the prosciutto and roughly shape into a mummy form. Wrap the prosciutto around the cheese mixture sealing it in completely and reshape the mixture to look like a mummy with a rounded head and the body tapering at the bottom. Place a sheet of phyllo on a work surface, brush with melted butter, repeat with 2 more sheets, placing them on top of one another. Do not brush top sheet with butter. Lay the prosciutto wrapped cheese in the center of the phyllo and wrap the phyllo around the "mummy". Butter the outside of the phyllo and then reshape into the mummy shape. Place 1 of the remaining sheets of phyllo on the parchment lined baking sheet, brush with melted butter, repeat with the remaining 2 sheets, placing them on top of one another. Carefully slice the phyllo into 1/2-inch wide strips horizontally. Lay the wrapped mummy in the center of the sliced strips and wrap the sliced pieces around the mummy so it looks like bandages. Gently brush the top with butter. Bake for 20 minutes, or until golden brown on the outside. When the mummy is just a few minutes from coming out of the oven, place drained roasted red peppers, basil leaves, and garlic in the food processor and pulse grind into a pepper puree. Transfer to a small serving bowl. Decorate the mummy with black olives and pepper shapes and transfer him to his "coffin" with 2 wide, long, offset spatulas. Serve with red pepper puree.
Combine all ingredients thoroughly and store in an airtight jar or container. Yield: about 2/3 cup

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