Greek Pizza

This recipe and I go way back (I consider it a classic in my culinary repertoire). I discovered my love of cooking soon after moving out of my college dorm and into my first apartment in NYC. It was so much fun cooking for my friends/roommates and experimenting with new cuisines and ingredients (when I could afford to buy them).

I'm pretty sure this recipe was my first attempt at using filo dough. I remember how pleasantly surprised I was at how easy it turned out to be (and how thrilled I was when I tasted the results). This pizza was so popular, I always made at least two at a time, no matter how many friends were (or weren't) over...and believe me, it never went to waste. The leftovers (if you have any) are outstanding cold for breakfast.

GREEK PIZZA

(Yield: 4 to 6 servings)

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 cup chopped onion

6 large cloves garlic, crushed

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon crushed basil

1/2 teaspoon oregano

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 lb. fresh spinach (cleaned, stemmed & chopped)

   or 1 (10 oz.) pkg. frozen chopped spinach (thawed and water squeezed out)

1/2 lb. filo dough, defrosted

1/2 cup melted butter

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/2 lb. grated mozzarella cheese

2 1/2 cups crumbled feta cheese

2 medium tomatoes, thinly sliced

1/2 cup fine bread crumbs (optional)

1.     Preheat oven to 400° F.  Butter a large baking sheet.

2.     In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add the onions, garlic and salt; cook until the onions are clear and soft. Add basil, oregano, lemon juice and spinach, and cook over fairly high heat, stirring, until the spinach is limp and the liquid is evaporated.

3.     Combine the melted butter and olive oil. Layer the sheets of filo dough on the buttered baking sheet, brushing the entire surface of each sheet with a generous amount of butter/olive oil mixture.  Continue layering the pastry leaves until you’ve used them all.  Brush the top surface of the stack with the remaining butter/olive oil mixture.

4.      Use a slotted spoon, transfer the spinach mixture from the skillet to the filo stack, leaving behind whatever liquid failed to evaporate.  Spread the spinach mixture evenly over the filo, leaving a 1/2-inch border of pastry.

5.     Sprinkle on all the crumbled feta, plus half of the mozzarella.

6.     Dredge the tomato slices in bread crumbs (optional). Arrange the tomato slices on top of the pizza, and sprinkle the remaining mozzarella over the tomatoes.  Bake uncovered for 25-30 minutes (start checking at 20 minutes).

adapted from “The Enchanted Broccoli Forest” by Mollie Katzen

juicy tomatoes

onions and garlic

lemon
(sometimes I wonder if I should bother with these captions)

I used frozen spinach to save some time.

paper thin filo dough

brushing the filo with butter/oil

all the filo sheets layered

spinach mixture spread on top of filo

crumbled feta (buy the good stuff)

feta and half the mozzarella sprinkled on top

tomato slice dredged in bread crumbs (you can skip this
step if you want, but I like the flavor of the bread crumbs).

tomatoes layered with remaining mozzarella sprinkled on top

just look at all those golden, crunchy layers

dinner is served (I used a pizza cutter to slice)

This stuff leaves such a great aftertaste in
your mouth...you'll never want it to fade away.

.

Scallops Wrapped in Kataifi

Well, here we are, the last day of Greek week! I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did (it seems like we just got started and it's already over...sniff, sniff). Oh well, moving on.

Making this was very exciting for me because I've always wanted to try kataifi (pronounced kah-tah-EE-fee according to about.com). What is kataifi? Just shredded filo dough (that resembles a bird's nest when baked). In fact, I've seen people cook little nests of it in muffin tins and then fill them with goodies (a great presentation for candy easter eggs). It's easy to work with (and fun)! 

I thought this dish was scrumptious. The sweet scallops were great with the crunchy kataifi, fresh herbs, buttery/wine sauce and the reduced balsamic. Definitely a nice special occasion recipe for scallop lovers.

SCALLOPS WRAPPED IN KATAIFI

Makes 6 appetizers (1 per person)

1 cup balsamic vinegar

6 extra large sea scallops

salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1/4 lb. kataifi (shredded filo dough)

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1 plum tomato, diced

1/4 cup diced scallions

1/4 cup chopped fresh dill

butter sauce:

1 medium shallot, sliced

1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme

1 cup white wine

1 stick unsalted butter, cut into small bits and chilled

1.      In a small saucepan over medium heat, simmer the vinegar until syrupy, about 20-30 minutes (don’t over reduce, it will thicken as it cools).

2.      Preheat oven to 450° F. Season the scallops with salt and pepper. Wrap each scallop in some of the kataifi filo. Arrange the scallops on a baking sheet and drizzle with the melted butter.

3.      Make the butter sauce: In a small saucepan, combine the shallot, thyme, and wine. Simmer until completely reduced and there is no liquid remaining. Over low heat and whisking constantly, add the butter, a few pieces at a time. Allow the butter to become creamy before adding the next few pieces. Do not boil or the butter will melt and the sauce will become oily. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Keep the sauce warm.

4.      Bake the scallops until just done, about 15 minutes.

5.      To serve, cut each wrapped scallop in half and place in the center of the plate. Spoon the butter sauce over the scallops. Drizzle with some of the reduced balsamic vinegar. Sprinkle the tomatoes, scallions and dill around the scallop.

adapted from Gregory Zapantis

scallops

fun!

wrapped
(you can't really go wrong because it's kind of a mess anyway)

before baking

after baking

cut in half, up close

Opa! I looked up the meaning of opa online and according to urbandictionary.com, opa is a word that Greek people use with no meaning at all. So I'm using it now to say "thanks for tuning in to Greek week!" Earlier I used it to say "you've got some kataifi in your teeth!"

i

Spiced Orange and Honey Sorbet

In case you've lost count, we're already on day six of Greek week. You didn't think I'd go the whole week without making a dessert did you? I was going to make baklava (but wouldn't you know it, I posted that already). Then I learned that baklava might not even be Greek (gasp!). Depending on your source, it could be Turkish, Armenian or Lebanese. Luckily it doesn't matter because I made sorbet.

I liked this, it was very light and refreshing. But I should warn you that it's probably more of an adult taste with the spices added. I never thought I'd see my daughter turn her nose up at anything resembling ice cream, but she did (I could see right up her tiny little nostrils).

SPICED ORANGE & HONEY SORBET

Makes about 4 cups

3 cups water

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup clover honey

2 tablespoons finely grated orange zest

2 teaspoons chopped, peeled fresh ginger

1 whole star anise or cardamom pod

1 whole clove

1 small bay leaf, preferably fresh

2 cups chilled fresh orange juice

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1.      Combine water, sugar, honey, orange zest, ginger, anise, cloves and bay leaf in heavy large saucepan. Bring to boil over medium-high heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Boil until syrup is thick and mixture is reduced to 2 cups, about 20 minutes. Discard bay leaf; cool syrup.

2.      Strain syrup into medium bowl. Add orange juice and lemon juice. Chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

3.      Pour mixture into ice cream maker and process according to manufacturer's instructions. Transfer sorbet to container, cover, and freeze until firm, at least 6 hours and up to 3 days.

adapted from Michael Psilakis

sliced oranges

juicing

adding the honey

adding the orange zest

cooled liquid sorbet mixture
(I added one blood orange, just to liven up the color a little)

before churning

after churning

A

Spanakopita

Spanakopita (pronounced span-a-kō-pee-ta) is commonly referred to as "spinach pie" (at least by us tongue tied Americans). It's usually spinach with feta, eggs and other herbs/spices baked in layers of filo dough. Yum. 

It can be made in either individually wrapped triangles (great for serving as hors d'oeuvres) or as one large "pie" (good for serving as a main course or side dish).

My daughter loved the triangles, so I thought "great, I'll make a pie for dinner."  Turns out to a 5-year-old's taste buds, a rectangle just doesn't taste the same as a triangle. Live and learn. 

SPANAKOPITA

Yield: about 40 triangles

filling:

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 onion, chopped

1/2 cup chopped scallions, white and green parts

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 lb. fresh baby spinach, trimmed, washed and roughly chopped

juice of 1/2 lemon

2 eggs, lightly beaten

12 oz. crumbled feta

3 tablespoons fresh chopped dill

1 tablespoon coriander seeds, toasted and ground

1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

assembly:

2 sticks unsalted butter, melted

1 lb. filo sheets, defrosted

1/4 cup finely chopped fresh oregano

1/4 cup finely chopped chives

1/2 cup grated parmesan

1.      Heat olive oil in a large skillet and place over medium heat. Saute onions and garlic for 3 minutes until soft. Add the spinach, season with salt and pepper, and continue to saute until the spinach is limp, about 2 minutes. Add lemon juice, remove from heat and place in a colander, and squeeze out excess liquid. Set aside to cool. The filling needs to be cool and dry to prevent the filo from becoming soggy. In a medium bowl, beat the eggs with feta, dill, coriander, and nutmeg. Season, then fold in the cooled spinach mixture until well blended.

2.      Preheat oven to 350º F.  Brush 2 baking sheets with melted butter. Unroll the filo dough and lay a sheet flat on a work surface. Take care to keep the filo covered with a damp, not wet, towel as you work to prevent drying out and becoming brittle. Brush the sheet with melted butter, then sprinkle evenly with some oregano and chives. Repeat with 2 more sheets of filo, stacking on top of each other. With a sharp knife or pizza cutter, cut the sheets lengthwise into thirds to form 2 1/2-inch strips. Do this with remaining dough.

3.      Place a heaping teaspoon of filling near 1 corner of the layered filo strip. Fold the end at an angle over the filling to form a triangle. Continue to fold the triangle along the strip until you reach the end, like folding up a flag. Brush the top with butter and dust with Parmesan, place on prepared baking sheet, and cover while preparing the remaining pastries. Repeat until all the filling and filo strips are used up. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes until the triangles are crisp and golden. Serve hot, warm or cold.

Note:  Triangles can be formed, but not baked, 3 days ahead. Arrange in 1 layer in heavy-duty sealed plastic bags, then freeze. Bake frozen pastries in same manner as above (do not thaw).

adapted from Tyler Florence, Food Network

raw spinach
If it doesn't all fit, that's okay. It cooks down quickly
and then you can add more until it's all cooked.

see

toasting coriander seeds (just dry toast them until they become fragrant)

ground coriander seeds

filling all mixed

filo sheets brushed with butter and sprinkled with herbs

cut into strips

spinach near the corner

first fold

second fold (just keep doing that until you reach the end)

wrapped and sprinkled, but not baked yet

baked

If you want to make a spinach pie instead of triangles:

•  Butter a 9" x 13" baking pan (I used a smaller one in the photos because I made some filling into triangles and some into a pie).  Cut filo sheets to fit your pan, if necessary.

•  Layer 5-6 sheets of filo (brushing each sheet with butter). Sprinkle herbs between every 2-3 layers.

•  Add half the spinach filling; spread evenly.

•  Repeat 5-6 more filo/herb layers.

•  Add remaining spinach filling; spread evenly.

•  Top with 5-6 more layers of filo/herb layers (brush the top layer with butter, but don't sprinkle the top layer with herbs (they'll burn).

•  Cooking time will be longer, bake until heated through and filo is golden brown (about 40 minutes).

filo/herb layers (I was very generous with the herbs)

spinach filling

top layer

baked

served