SPANAKOPITES

Did you think I bought a cool new Greek cookbook and only used one recipe? HA! I'm back to Greece with these appetizers.  I've been dying to use some filo to make appetizers.  Unfortunately I was disappointed, liked the filling, but found the casing made with the filo unflavorful and with all the butter, slightly greasy.  Even though I've had these before, I remember them tasting better.   I actually halved the recipe, but it still made a big batch. They did look pretty cool and were pretty easy to fold up.

Spanakopites
 1 lb Feta cheese
1 (8 oz.) carton dry cottage cheese
3 eggs, beaten
1 c. chopped onion
2 (10 oz) pkg. frozen spinach, thawed
drained well, and squeezed dry
4 Tbs fresh dill weed or 1 Tbs dry
1/2 stick butter
Salt and pepper
1 lb melted butter

1 lb filo dough

Saute onions in 1/2 stick butter.  Add spinach and saute until all moisture has evaporated.  Add dill, salt, and pepper.  Stir well and let cool.  Combine Feta, cottage cheese and eggs.  Mix well and add to spinach mixture.  Refrigerate until ready to use.  Cut defrosted filo dough overnight in refrigerator or on counter for 2 hours.  Remove filo from plastic wrap.  Cut in half with sharp knife.  Return unused portion to plastic until needed.  Place damp dish towel over filo dough your are not currently working with to keep it from drying out and cracking.  Using a pastry brush, butter a strip of filo with melted butter.  Place 1 teaspoon of filling close to the bottom.  Fold up the bottom to cover and hold in filling.  Fold in sides slightly to hold in filling.  Fold into triangle shape.  Butter both sides of completed triangle with melted butter.  Place in jelly roll pan spacing 1 inch apart.  Repeat each strip of filo until all filling is used.  Filo leftovers can be refrozen. Wrap in plastic and seal.  Bake at 375 degrees for about 25 minutes or until golden brown.

Apple Pies

Fall is officially here and that means apples.  My sister generously gave me a couple of bushels of apples, so I made pies and pies and pies.  Yesterday I made an even dozen pies, 11 for the freezer and one for B to eat.  He doesn't like cinnamon, so the one I made for him had no cinnamon, just nutmeg.  So I have a years supply of pies standing ready in the freezer.

I had seen a recipe at KAF for "Old Fashioned Slab Apple Pie" and it sounded like a good recipe to make to take to work.  I looked at several on line and decided to use my own.  Basically, I used my regular pie crust recipe (5 cups flour, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp baking powder, 2 1/2 cups shortening cut into the dry ingredients; 1 egg, 1 tsp vinegar mixed together in a one cup measure, then filled to the top with water).  I used about one third for the bottom and one third for the top crust.  If crust is one of the things you like most about pies, you'd like this slab pie.  It's like an upscale giant poptart - only it tastes really good!\

Filling:

8 cups thinly sliced apples
1 cup sugar

1/2 cup cornstarch
1 teaspoon cinnamon
pinch of nutmeg
1 tablespoon cider vinegar

Mix dry ingredients, then gently stir in the sliced apples and sprinkle with the vinegar.  Microwave for 10 minutes, stopping and stirring occasionally, until the juice of the apples starts to thicken and the apples are slightly cooked, but still firm.

Roll the dough into a rectangle to fit a 10 x 15 jelly roll pan, gently place the dough into the pan having the dough go up the sides.  Place the filling into the dough lined pan, smoothing down the filling.  Roll the rest of the dough into a rectangle to fit the pan.  (sit the pan on the dough & use a knife to cut around the shape of the pan) Place the top on the filling, then fold the sides down from the bottom layer.  Poke holes for steam release then put in the oven at 350 degrees for about an hour or until the crust is browned. 

Glaze:

1/4 cup apple juice
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons maple syrup
2 cups powdered sugar
pinch of salt

Boil at a medium heat until the sugar dissolves and you have a syrup consistency.  Add 2 tablespoons butter. Add the syrup mixture to the powder sugar.  Beat until smooth, add apple juice, maple syrup, cream or water to thin the mixture if necessary.  Drizzle over the cooled slab. 

KOTA RIGANATI

Otherwise known as Greek Baked Chicken.  I did warn you that I got a new cookbook at the Greek Fest.  The name of the cookbook is From Yiayia's Kitchen, A Legacy of Greek Foods and Pastries. This is one of the dishes they serve at the festival.  I followed the recipe pretty closely, but I balked at the cup of olive oil.  I only sprinkled it over the chicken.  It turned out a moist, flavorful chicken with a lemony undertone.  It was very good and I'll use it again,  the spice blend was nice, but not over powering.  I served it with some potatoes I broiled in the pan after I removed the chicken and a Greek type salad with cucumbers, marinated artichoke hearts, green onions and lettuce with a lemon dressing I made up.

Kota Riganati

1 chicken
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 cup olive oil ( D!)


Cut chicken into quarters and wash and blot dry with paper towels. Mix spices together.   Place chicken in baking pan.  Pour lemon juice and oil over chicken.  Sprinkle with the spices.   Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes or until the chicken is done.

GREEK FEST

This weekend C and I went to the annual Greek Festival in Kansas City at the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church.  We've gone the last 4 years and have never been disappointed.  Well, except the first year when I ordered the Pastitsio plate, a pasta casserole dish consisting of a meat sauce between two layers of a macaroni/bechamel sauce, sprinkled with nutmeg.  Not as good as it sounds.  But the pita bread and the gyros can't be beat.  Also the Spanakopita, humus and Dolmathes are really good.  This year I smartened up and ordered a gyro to take home and tried the Souvlakia (shish kabob) at the festival.  It was very tender and flavorful, and the gyro was just as good the next day for lunch.  I've never tried to make gyros before, but I may have to make the effort.  I have tried to make Tsatziki before, but it was no where near as good as theirs.  Best of all they had a cookbook for sale! So look for some Greek taste trials in the near future.

Grilled Tuna

I know, I know, it's been a while, but it's been a busy, depressing time.  My mom passed away and I've changed jobs.  So lots of challenges.  Anyway I grilled some tuna a few weeks ago and it was so delicious I went out and bought more tuna steaks.  They were on sale, individually vacuum packaged and ridiculously easy to cook.  I cooked them out on the grill, just brushing with olive oil.  I served with a tomato halve sprinkled with feta cheese and some fresh basil from the garden, then drizzled with olive oil.  Just pink in the middle, this tuna just melted in my mouth.  B refused to eat his, but it made a great tuna salad sandwich the next day.  I cooked a couple more last weekend and served with a fruit salsa made with fresh pineapple and mango, really tasty.