Christmas Savoury Strudel

Ingredients

 * 3 tbsp olive oil
 * 2 onions, chopped
 * 2 garlic cloves (or more) — crushed
 * 28 oz canned tomatoes in juice
 * 1 tsp dried basil
 * 3 fl oz red wine
 * 8 oz button mushrooms — washed and sliced
 * salt
 * freshly ground black pepper
 * 10 oz filo pastry
 * 4 oz butter, melted
 * 3½ oz roasted cashew nuts — roughly chopped

Directions

 * 1) Heat the oil in a fairly large saucepan, add the onions and cook them, with the lid on the pan, for about 10 minutes, until they are tender but not browned.
 * 2) Add the garlic, the tomatoes together with their liquid, the basil and the wine.
 * 3) Let the mixture simmer gently without a lid on the pan, stirring from time to time, until the liquid has disappeared and it is quite thick - this will take about 20 minutes.
 * 4) Add the mushrooms and cook for a further 5 minutes or so, or until the mushrooms are tender and any liquid which they make has boiled away.
 * 5) Remove from the heat and season to taste.
 * 6) When the filling mixture has cooled, you can assemble the strudel, which can then be cooked straight away, or kept in the fridge for a few hours until you"re ready, or in the freezer for at least a month.
 * 7) I find it easiest to assemble the studel directly on to a large baking sheet, which means you don't have to lift it later.
 * 8) Set the oven to 200°C / 400°F /gas mark 6 if you have the type of filo pastry which is long and narrow — about 30 x 20 cm (12 x 8 inches) — lay two sheets side by side, overlapping them slightly where they join.
 * 9) If you have the type which is quite large — about 30 cm (12 inches) or so square — lay out one sheet.
 * 10) Either way, brush the surface with a little melted butter and then sprinkle with a third of the nuts.
 * 11) Put another layer of filo pastry on top, brush with butter, and scatter with nuts.
 * 12) Repeat with another layer, then a final layer of filo pastry, which you just brush with butter.
 * 13) Now tip the tomato filling mixture on top and spread it to about 2.5 cm (1 inch) of the edges.
 * 14) Fold the edges over, to enclose the edge of the filling then, starting from one of the widest edges, roll the whole thing up like a swiss roll, trying not to let it break (although it's not the end of the world if it does).
 * 15) Brush with melted butter and garnish with some shreds or shapes of filo pastry.
 * 16) Put the strudel into the oven and bake for 30 minutes, or until golden brown.
 * 17) Transfer carefully to a serving dish with the aid of two slices.