Spanakopita

Will not you like to have a slice of Spanakopita, setting in the patio of a little greek cafe in that beautiful harbor of Mykonos? As you see I am still in my "grecian Odyssey"  mood. I decided to make a Spanakopita. In doing this I am thinking of my sister in law, and best friend Noreen when we have the chance to be together we always have one or 2 cooking sessions. we enjoy cooking together. Noreen travels a lot and she has the best memories of her trip in Greece. She has greek friends and they cook for her the last time they visited her. She is experienced in genuine greek cooking. Last time she came to visit in SC she made a delicious Spanakopita for the family dinner. I hope mine will be as good as her. Spanakopita is a pie made with  spinach and feta and it is very easy to make. I usually cook it in a regular pie pan but since I am going to Tricia house( my daughter) for the Super ball I will make the Spanakopita in form of little triangles. It will be easier to transport and easier to eat.

GENERAL FILLO DOUGH HANDLING DIRECTIONS(from:greekfood/about.com) 1. Allow fillo dough to thaw in refrigerator overnight. Bring to room temperature before using. 2. Carefully unroll fillo sheets onto a smooth, dry surface. 3. Cover fillo completely with plastic wrap, then a damp towel. 4. Keep fillo covered until needed. Do not leave uncovered for more than one minute to avoid drying out. 5. Microwave butter until melted. This will give you a lighter and flakier pastry. 6. Brush each layer of fillo with melted butter, margarine or oil. 7. To prevent edges from cracking, brush edges first and then work into center. 8. Be sure to brush the last layer of fillo with melted butter. 9. Fillings should be chilled and not excessively moist. 10. Fillo may be rolled and refrozen to store when not in use.

Spanakopita

ingredient

about 2 lbs of spinach

1 large onion

3 garlic cloves

3 tbs of olive oil

1 large eggs

1/4 cup chopped parsley

1/4 cup fresh dill chopped.

1 cup of Feta cheese

1/2 of ricotta

10 sheets of Phyllo

1/2 unsalted butter

Directions

Cook the spinach in water do not over cook them. Strained in a colander

Chopped the onion and the garlic very fine. chopped the parsley.

IN a frying pan heat the olive oils and cooked the onion until translucide about 10 minutes then add the garlic cook about 5 more minutes.

In a bowl beat your eggs and then add the spinach the feta the ricotta and the onion 

Add the parsley and the dill

Mix every thing and there the filling is ready.

prepare the phyllo has directed previously.

 use about 10 sheets for the base of the pie, add the filling and use about 10 sheets for the top.

You may cook your pie in a regular pie pan and shape the Phyllo into it.

Here I cooked my Spanakopita in small triangles. so I could froze them individually

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It is easy to divide the Phyllo in small squares, add the Filling on each squares and form little triangles.

 about 10 or 15 minutes

 Cook the Spanakopita triangles in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for about 10 or 15 minutes

Miam miam!

Bon appetit.!!

NOTES

this little triangles freeze very well.

It is easy to freeze them individually. Make sure if you are going to freeze them not to overcook them ,since you will have to put them in the oven again.

A nice greek salad is a very nice side dish for the spanakopita

 .

 It will be nice to  experience a glass of greek wine with the spanakopita I have no experience of greek wine. I may have to change that situation.  But I think, with that salty feta dish, a Sauvignon blanc

will be delicious

(.http://www.greekwinemakers..com)

Phyllo can be spell Phyllo fillo and filo.

 

printing recipe

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Retsina Greek wine

Retsina Greek wine, a photo by houstonfoodie on Flickr.

Moussaka

Beautiful Greece

I love Greece and I love  Greek cooking.When I was living in New Egypt in New Jersey I had a friend who was Greek. She is the one who introduced me to Greek cooking and taught me a lot about it. It is naturaly a mediterranean cooking and very much like the food of Provence but with a few differencesen.wikipedia.org/wiki/greek_cuisine  
 Greek cooking  is some times a little more spicy, it use lamb a lot and different cheeses like Feta. It has is own olive oil and different alcool like ouzo. the deserts(blakava) are very sweet and very often Filo is used often. The few dishes my Greek friends show me was to make Moussaka,spanakopita and baklava. Since I have made moussaka often and spanakopita once and a while but I never made Baklava too sweet for me.

Moussaka in Greece is usually made with lamb. When making a recipe  traditional to another country I usually try to keep it close to the original recipe with the flavors of the country. Even my sister told me I should not use leeks in Pistou soup but the Pistou soup seems to lend to more improvisations. There are quite a few differents interpretation of the pistou soup and every body is ready to argue what is the real Pistou soup. But Gisele was right my grand mother from l'Estaque will not  have call my soup a Pistou soup if I used leaks. still.I feel  Moussaka is different it is traditional and pretty much made the same way so I will try not to improvise .   So I will make my Moussaka just like my greek girl friend show me. She did use beef because In the little town of New Egypt it was not easy to find lamb.

MOUSSAKA
ingredients for the meat sauce
3 large eggplants
!/2 cup olive oil
i medium onion
2 garlic gloves
parsley
2 lbs beef (or lamb)
1 can tomatoes sauce
1 cup parmesan
2 cups mozzarella
1 tbs soup tomato paste
italian seasoning or fresh oregano  or thyme

ingredients for the bechamel
4 tbs flour
4tbs butter
11/4 cup milk
2 eggs
salt
ground pepper.

Directions


peel the eggplants and slice in 1/2 inch circles
put in a bowl and salt . Set on  side

for the meat sauce:
saute the onion in olive oil till golden brown
add the chopped garlic and parsley
add the meat and brown till cooked
add the tomatoes sauce and the tomato paste
add a few pinches of Italian seasoning or a few spring of Oregano or thyme
Add salt and pepper
cook for about 30minutes. The meat sauce must be thick.

For the white sauce:

melt the butter in a sauce pan
 Add the flour and mix well on a medium heat
Add the milk and continue mixing.
add the mustard the salt and pepper
and continue cooking about 10 min.
beat the 2 eggs addto the bachamel

Drain the eggplants of their water
put on a cookie sheet
add a little salt and pepper
brush with olive oil
 bake for 7 to 9 min.

line a 9/13 dish with the first layer of eggplants
cover with the meat sauce
spread with mozzarella aand parmesan
and repeat the layers.
Add the bechamel on the top cover with more cheese and the bread crumb.
Cook for 1 hour in a 350 degrees oven
for one or 2 persons you may cook the moussaka in individuals ramequins.
the Moussaka freeze very well.
So nice to get home and have your dinner all ready for you. And really it does get better tasting after it has been reheated
 green salad will complete the meal nicely.

Bon appetit!

Notes:
I make my own tomatoes sauce but you may use any good can tomatoes sauce.
Make sure your meat sauce is thick enough so your Moussaka will hold together