I can hardly believe that I am this hungry at 7 in the morning. Dreams of spanakopita lulled me to sleep last night and while there must have worked overtime on my stomach.
If I could wish three dishes to magically appear before me now, they would be Greek. So, thanks to the internet, here they are, my favorites, and the methods to conjure them for yourself.
Appetizer: Dolmas (Stuffed Grape Leaves)
Recipe by Patti Moschonas.
"These are grape leaves, stuffed with a tantalizing mixture of rice, fresh dill, mint and lemon. 'Yum' is the only one word to describe these. These can either be a main dish or an appetizer, depending on your appetite. Serve with good crusty bread and a Greek salad, if desired."
Prep Time 40 Min, Cook Time 1 Hr, Ready In 1 Hr 40 Min, Serves 12.
Ingredients
2 cups uncooked long-grain white rice
1 large onion, chopped
1/2 cup chopped fresh dill
1/2 cup chopped fresh mint leaves
2 quarts chicken broth
3/4 cup fresh lemon juice, divided
60 grape leaves, drained and rinsed
hot water as needed
1 cup olive oil
Directions
1. In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, saute the rice, onion, dill, and mint for about 5 minutes, or until onion is soft. Pour in 1 quart of broth, reduce heat to low and simmer for another 10 to 15 minutes, or until rice is almost cooked. Stir in 1/2 of lemon juice and remove from heat.
2. Take one leaf, shiny side down, and place 1 teaspoon of the rice mixture at the bottom (stem) end of the leaf. Fold both sides of the leaf towards the center, roll up from the broad bottom to the top, and place into a 4-quart pot. Repeat with all leaves, leaving no gaps as leaves are placed in pot (to prevent from opening while cooking). Sprinkle with remaining lemon juice and with olive oil.
3. Pour chicken broth over all to cover grape leaves. Cover pot and simmer for about 1 hour (do not boil, because this will make the stuffing burst out of the leaves). Remove from heat, remove cover and let cool for 1/2 hour. Transfer to serving dish and serve.
Footnote
If using fresh grape leaves, plunge into a deep container of very hot water for about 10 seconds, to soften (don't let the leaves lose their fresh green color).
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Main Course: Spanakopita (Spinach Pie)
Recipe by SilverWolf.
"This is an authentic, really rich pie stuffed with spinach, onions, cheeses and herbs that are all enfolded by crispy, flaky phyllo dough."
Prep Time 30 Min, Cook Time 1 Hr, Ready In 1 Hr 30 Min, Original recipe yield 1 - 9x9 inch pan, Serves 5.
Ingredients
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 bunch green onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 pounds spinach, rinsed and chopped
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
1 cup crumbled feta cheese
8 sheets phyllo dough
1/4 cup olive oil
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly oil a 9x9 inch square baking pan.
2. Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Saute onion, green onions and garlic, until soft and lightly browned. Stir in spinach and parsley, and continue to saute until spinach is limp, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
3. In a medium bowl, mix together eggs, ricotta, and feta. Stir in spinach mixture. Lay 1 sheet of phyllo dough in prepared baking pan, and brush lightly with olive oil. Lay another sheet of phyllo dough on top, brush with olive oil, and repeat process with two more sheets of phyllo. The sheets will overlap the pan. Spread spinach and cheese mixture into pan and fold overhanging dough over filling. Brush with oil, then layer remaining 4 sheets of phyllo dough, brushing each with oil. Tuck overhanging dough into pan to seal filling.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 30 to 40 minutes, until golden brown. Cut into squares and serve while hot.
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Dessert: Baklava
Recipe by NeonWillie.
"A Greek favorite that makes everyone think you are a master chef and is sooo easy to make!! I taught a Greek friend how to make apple pie and she taught me this fabulous recipe. The phyllo dough for this recipe is found in the freezer section of most grocery stores. Add a little lemon zest to the sugar sauce, if desired."
Original recipe yield 3 dozen, Serves 18.
Ingredients
1 (16 ounce) package phyllo dough
1 pound chopped nuts
1 cup butter
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup water
1 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup honey
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F(175 degrees C). Butter the bottoms and sides of a 9x13 inch pan.
2. Chop nuts and toss with cinnamon. Set aside. Unroll phyllo dough. Cut whole stack in half to fit pan. Cover phyllo with a dampened cloth to keep from drying out as you work. Place two sheets of dough in pan, butter thoroughly. Repeat until you have 8 sheets layered. Sprinkle 2 - 3 tablespoons of nut mixture on top. Top with two sheets of dough, butter, nuts, layering as you go. The top layer should be about 6 - 8 sheets deep.
3. Using a sharp knife cut into diamond or square shapes all the way to the bottom of the pan. You may cut into 4 long rows the make diagonal cuts. Bake for about 50 minutes until baklava is golden and crisp.
4. Make sauce while baklava is baking. Boil sugar and water until sugar is melted. Add vanilla and honey. Simmer for about 20 minutes.
5. Remove baklava from oven and immediately spoon sauce over it. Let cool. Serve in cupcake papers. This freezes well. Leave it uncovered as it gets soggy if it is wrapped up.
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All of the above user-submitted recipes are from the aptly named AllRecipes.com.
For best results, read the user suggestions I've added to the comments and serve with your favorite Chardonnay or Pino Grigio.
Bon Appétit!
4 comments:
Spanakopita:
This is a great recipe, no doubt. There are a few points that should be emphasized. First, the instructions state that the mixture should be cooled before assembly. This should be in capital letters. There's something about letting the mixture set-up somewhat to reduce the amount of moisture...that thing that everyone is saying to avoid. Excess moisture kills this dish. I spun my spinach dry before chopping it and adding it to the pan, but go to great lengths to introduce as little extra moisture as possible. On the subject of spinach, I think the recipe implies the dirty bunch-spinach, not the pre-washed baby spinach. I found I lost about 1/3 weight from the bunch spinach after discarding the undesirables and destemming. Baby spinach is more expensive, but you can take it right out of the container, chop it and throw it in the pan. If you use bunch spinach, account for the extra time it'll take you to clean and destem the stuff...huge PITA, but much cheaper. Also, you can't go wrong with extra phyllo. I wouldn't layer it in the middle, because it'll just be a doughy mess between the layers of filling. But to have eight sheets on the top AND bottom would not do you wrong. Finally, I found this dish rocks coming out of the freezer and going right into the oven. Prepare it the same just to the point it goes in the oven. Take the whole frozen kit and caboodle right to the oven, add some extra cooking time (20-30 mins) and it turns out identical.
Spanakopita:
In a cooking class, many years ago, I learned the trick of dry spinach to be used in a recipe. No need for pressing in a strainer. Just place the spinach on a plate, cover it with another plate (same side up). Holding vertically, press the two plates together, over the sink, until liquid stops flowing. Result = VERY dry spinach! Using this method, I have never had a sogginess problem with this recipe.
Baklava:
I have made Baklava for about 30 years now, ever since my greek stepmother made it during my teenage years. At first it took me about an hour to assemble, but now only about 15 minutes. Here are the shortcuts to save time. I do let the phyllo dough thaw, but do not cut the dough and do not cover it while layering. I just drape the bottom half over the pan and then fold the top half over it, "painting" a thin layer of butter quickly. I use a new and clean basting paint brush, to spread a very thin layer of butter between each phyllo sheet. It is only necessary to lightly brush on the butter, not saturate. The more wrinkles the sheet has in it, the better. You just keep putting and folding the edges and that ends up making the baklava more layered and crispy. If it turns out soggy, it's from too much butter, not the sauce. Also, when you cut the Baklava before you bake it, use a sharp knife and cut to within a half inch FROM the bottom of the pan, so then when you pour the sauce into the cooled Baklava, the sauce seeps into every layer of the Baklava, but doesn't sit at the bottom. Then, cut all the way thru after the whole thing has completely cooled.
Baklava:
I have been using this recipe from allrecipes.com for years, and I just realized I never reviewed it. I have made it dozens of times, and without fail it always impresses. You should follow these tips that are suggested by other reviewers: 1) Lightly roast nuts prior to chopping (I always use walnuts). 2) Make 1 1/2 times sauce recipe calls far. 3) Make sauce AHEAD of recipe, and put in the fridge to cool. By pouring the cool syrup on the warm baklava it will turn out crispy. 4) Cook at 325F until browned on top (I have found 350F a little too high) This recipe, along with the Classic Tiramisu also on this site, are my top 2 desserts to make. For any function, family get together or holiday, I always get requests for these 2 desserts.
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