Traditional Greek Tyropita with Myzithra

We are excited to share this recipe with you, because it is absolutely delicious and reminds us of the traditional way our yiayias used to make all the pies (forget the easy way out on this one...you will have to roll your own dough).

Serves 8 (4 if you are Greek)

Ingredients for phyllo dough preparation:

2.2lbs of flour
1 tbsp salt
1 cup of olive oil
2 cups of warm water
3 tsp vinegar

Ingredients for the pita filling:

1 cup whole milk
1.5lbs of grated Myzithra cheese
2 tbsp semolina
2 tbsp cornflour
4 eggs
Freshly grated pepper to your liking

Recipe instructions:

To prepare the phyllo dough, place the ingredients in a mixer and blend until you obtain a soft manageable dough texture. We often recommend that towards the end you mix by hand to get a feel of the dough's consistency. Let the dough rest for 15-20 minutes, covered with a towel or plastic wrap. 

In a saucepan, boil the milk and add the semolina to it while mixing. 
Remove from heat and let the mixture cool.
Add the remaining ingredients to it and mix well - you can use your hands just like yiayia or if this is too traditional for you, use a mixer to blend all the filling ingredients together. Once you get a uniform mixture you can add the crushed fresh pepper on top and mix again.

Now that your filling is ready, it's time to roll the dough.
Depending on the pan you are using you can "open phyllo" in square or round shapes.  It all depends on the shape of the pan you decide to use. The goal is to cover the pan's surface with the freshly rolled dough.  The thickness of the phyllo sheet should not exceed 1/6th of an inch. 
After you lay the first layer of phyllo dough, brush it with some egg and olive oil and spread some of the Myzithra filling.  Continue this process with four to eight phyllo layers. How much of the filling you use, it will depend on the layers you can create. The layers might vary based on the size of the pan you are using and on how thin you can get the single phyllo sheets to be; the thinner the phyllo the greater number of layers you will be able to create.  Ideally, more and thinner layers will create a fun crispy dough that will have a flaky look and crunchy texture.

When you place the last layer of phyllo, brush with egg yolk blended in some warm water (just enough to help the york be spreadable) and bake in the oven at 375F (if you are using a convection oven use 350F) for 30-40 minutes. When your pie takes a beautiful golden color this is your hint that another delicious adventure awaits.

Καλη Ορεξη!

Stuffed Zucchini Flowers

Stuffed Zucchini Flowers

This recipe makes 30 Zucchini Flowers

Ingredients:

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
15 tbsp. White rice
2 scallions (chopped)
1/2 bunch of fresh parsley (minced)
1/2 bunch of fresh mint (minced)
1/2 bunch of fresh dill
1 onion (minced)
1 large juicy lemon (lemon juice)
1 tsp salt

For the Avgolemono:

1 Lemon (lemon juice)
1 Egg

Recipe:

Remove the stamens and wash the zucchini flowers - set them aside to dry. 

In a pan sauté in low heat the minced onion along with the scallions for 2-3 minutes until they blend well. Add the rice and continue to mix with a wooden spoon for another 2-3 minutes.

Add the lemon juice and turn off the heat while you continue to blend the ingredients for a few more seconds.  Let this mixture which will serve as a stuffing rest for 10 minutes.
At this point your stuffing should look like the one in the images below:

Using a spoon open up and fill the zucchini flowers with the rice stuffing. 

In a casserole, place the zucchini flowers as you stuff them so they are tight together. Once you fill the casserole, cover the flowers with a plate to prevent them from shifting while cooking. Add enough water to barely cover them. Once the water starts to boil, lower the heat, add 3-4 tbsp. of olive oil and let the flowers slow cook for 20-25 minutes.  

In the meantime, prepare the Avgolemono sauce. 

Beat together the egg with the remaining olive oil and the lemon juice while adding to it a few tablespoons of the broth from the zucchini flowers. Usually 4-5 tablespoons of broth will do the trick.

When the zucchini flowers are ready to pour the Avgolemono sauce on top and let it rest for 5 minutes prior to serving. 

For best presentation, arrange the flowers in a platter.

Htipiti (Hot Feta Spread)

Serves 6

Ingredients:

2 cups crumbled authentic Greek Feta 

2-3 hot banana peppers (we like our Htipiti hot! but if your "hot" tolerance is not there, 2 peppers will suffice)

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

Instructions:

Grill the banana peppers, cool and remove their skin.

Slice the top and carefully remove any seeds.

Chop the peppers in very small pieces (minced is best as you don't want to end up with chunks of hot peppers in one bite).

Add the crumbled feta and start mixing as you slowly add the olive oil to create a creamy consistency. Depending on the amount and kind of Feta you use more olive oil might be necessary, but remember that when done mixing there will be no visible signs of olive oil in the spread.

When the spread is ready, transfer to a nice small plate and decorate with olives and parsley for a nice presentation. Spread over rusks, crackers or a fresh slice of baguette!

Hint: use of food processor might work best for the preparation of this spread as it will help you achieve a better creamier consistency. This is a thick spread and not easy to mix by hand. Use the olive oil as a medium to achieve the desired texture, but keep in mind that usually Htipiti is pretty thick due to the Feta content.

Leek Pie With Kasseri & Graviera Cheese

Pies are the life of the party in Greece. There is a plethora of variations and flavors, including the most popular pies such as Spanakopita and Tyropitta, however, one of our favorite versions is a Leek Pie made with (besides leeks) Kasseri and Graviera cheeses.  In fact, we enjoy this version so much we often make it a meal with the addition of arugula and tomato salad for a nutritious and lighter version of dinner. A slice of leek pie and some delicious salad with extra virgin olive oil and herbal vinegar on the side are a match made in heaven. 

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

1 medium onion, sliced

4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

2 large chopped leeks

1 cup flour

3 eggs, lightly beaten

1 cup Greek Yogurt

12 oz Kasseri cheese (grated)
6 oz Graviera (grated)

1 tsp freshly ground pepper
2 tbsp freshly chopped dill

Instructions:

In a skillet, add some extra virgin olive oil and sauté the onions until light golden. Add the leeks and cook over a low heat for 12-15 minutes.

Use a 9 inch round cake form, spray with cooking spray, or brush on some olive oil and set aside as you preheat the oven to 375F.

In a large bowl, combine the eggs, yogurt, flour, grated cheeses and leeks and mix well. Leave enough of the grated cheese on the side to use it when you transfer the batter to the cake form as topping before baking. Lastly, add the freshly chopped dill.

Transfer the batter to the cake form, top with the remaining grated cheese and bake in the oven for 40-45 minutes until the top turns golden brown. If you are using convection oven it will bake in a much shorter time. We recommend regular oven settings if possible.

Remove from the oven and let it cool. Serve by cutting the pie in wedges.

Revithia (Chickpea Soup)

Legumes are an integral part of Greek Cuisine and a big element in the Mediterranean diet.   Here is a flavorful recipe to give you an excuse to try them outside the salad or side dish arena.  You can make THIS your main dish!

Ingredients:

3 cups of dried garbanzo beans (revithia)
2 large onions
1 cup of extra virgin olive oil
Lemon juice (two small or one large juicy lemon) - optional
Salt
Pepper

Recipe:

Soak the dried garbanzo beans overnight in warm water - ideally try to change their water at least once within the next 12 hours.

When the garbanzo beans soften up, drain and place on the side.

Slice the onions and sauté them with some olive oil - you want to sauté just enough to get the bitterness out of the onion not enough to turn their color, 2 minutes should be sufficient.

Place the sautéed onions in a casserole along with the garbanzo beans and cover with just enough water (water should be half an inch higher than the garbanzo beans).

Bring the mix to a boil and remove any scum that might form.

Lower the heat and allow soup to simmer for 2 hours while checking to see if more water needs to be added to the soup while it simmers.  Sometimes it takes a bit longer than 2 hours for the soup to be at optimum cooking levels, as it all depends on the quality of the legumes you are using, and the time they spent soaking, so be mindful of that.

When you notice that the texture reaches the desired level, and the garbanzo beans are soft you can add the extra virgin olive oil and season with salt and pepper to your liking.
For those who like the zesty flavor of lemon, you can finish the soup with some lemon juice.

Continue to simmer for 10 minutes, remove from heat and serve.