Bourekas Food

CHEESE BOUREKAS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a baking sheet.
• Beat 1 egg in a medium bowl, and mix in the cheese. Season with parsley, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper.
• On a lightly floured surface, cut each sheet of puff pastry into 6 equal squares to give 12 squares in total. Beat the remaining egg with water in small bowl. Brush edges of each square lightly with egg wash. Place a heaping tablespoon of the cheese mixture in the center of each square. Fold pastry over the filling, (make a triangle shape for an authentic look) and seal edges with a fork. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet, brush with remaining egg wash and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
• Bake in the preheated oven 30 minutes, or until golden brown. Serve immediately.

BOUREK (MEAT FILLED PASTRY)

Steps:

• Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat.
• Add the lamb and stir-fry a minute.
• Add the onion, parsley, salt, pepper and cinnamon and cook over medium low heat til lamb is cooked through.
• Take one sheet of phyllo and fold both side to the center length-wise.
• Sprinkle lightly with melted butter.
• Place 2 heaping tablespoons of meat stuffing at one end of the phyllo.
• Press it out til it is about 4 inches wide and 1 inch deep.
• Roll the dough over and roll about 3 times.
• Sprinkle a bit more butter on the end and dab with egg to seal.
• Do this with the remaining meat mix and phyllo.
• Bake in a buttered baking dish in 350 degree oven for 15 to 20 minutes.

CHEESE BOUREKAS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a baking sheet.
• Beat 1 egg in a medium bowl, and mix in the cheese. Season with parsley, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper.
• On a lightly floured surface, cut each sheet of puff pastry into 6 equal squares to give 12 squares in total. Beat the remaining egg with water in small bowl. Brush edges of each square lightly with egg wash. Place a heaping tablespoon of the cheese mixture in the center of each square. Fold pastry over the filling, and seal edges with a fork. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet, brush with remaining egg wash and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
• Bake in the preheated oven 30 minutes, or until golden brown. Serve immediately.

BUREKAS - MY FAVORITE BREAKFAST PASTRIES

Steps:

• 1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• 2. Using a pastry brush, coat the bottom of a cookie sheet with some of the melted butter.
• 3. Take a sheet of phyllo and cut lengthwise in strips, 4 1/2 inches wide. Butter the strips, fold over lengthwise, butter again, and place a tablespoon of filling on the end. Then fold up right to left as you would a flag, so that the end result is a plump triangle, buttering the outside at the end. Repeat with the remaining filling and dough. Beat the egg, brush the burekas with it, and sprinkle sesame seeds over the tops.
• 4. Place on the cookie sheet and bake for 20 minutes or until golden in color.
• NOTE You can also mold and freeze the burekas after forming. Defrost for 2 hours and then bake. You can fill any leftover phyllo with chocolate chips or Nutella and make triangular treats.
• THREE WAYS TO FILL A BUREKA
• Spinach Filling
• Yield: About 2 cups, enough filling for about 20 burekas
• 2 pounds fresh spinach or Swiss chard leaves, washed well, or two 10-ounce packages chopped frozen spinach 2 large eggs, beaten lightly 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese 1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill 8 scallions, diced Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
• 1. Place the fresh spinach or Swiss chard leaves in a frying pan with only the water that clings to the leaves, and cook briefly until they wilt. (If using frozen spinach, simply defrost.) Drain very well, squeezing out as much of the water as possible. Cool and chop.
• 2. Mix together the eggs, feta and cheddar cheeses, parsley, dill, and scallions. Add the spinach and salt and pepper to taste; mix well.
• 3. Use about 1 tablespoon of filling for each bureka.
• Eggplant Filling
• Yield: About 2 cups, enough filling for about 20 burekas
• 2 medium eggplants (about 2 pounds) 1/3 cup kasseri or feta cheese, crumbled 1/3 cup grated sheep or mozzarella cheese 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro or parsley Salt to taste
• 1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Prick the skin of the eggplants all over and roast on an oiled cookie sheet for 25 minutes, turning occasionally.
• 2. Remove the pulp from the skin, discarding the seeds and draining off any extra liquid. Cool slightly, then pat dry and coarsely chop. Combine the eggplant pulp, cheeses, and cilantro or parsley and mash well with a fork; add salt if needed.
• 3. Use about 1 tablespoon of filling for each bureka.
• Cheese Filling
• Yield: About 2 cups, enough filling for about 20 burekas
• 2 large eggs 1 cup grated cheddar cheese 1 cup crumbled feta cheese Freshly ground pepper to taste
• 1. Beat the eggs in a small bowl. Add the cheddar and feta cheeses and pepper to taste. Mix well.
• 2. Use about 1 tablespoon of filling for each bureka.
• Joan Nathan shares her tips with Epicurious: •These pastries came to Israel with Sephardic Jews from Turkey and Greece. The first filling is more Greek-influenced, while the other two are more Turkish. •Nathan recommends a high-quality Greek feta cheese and a sharp cheddar for the fillings. •After folding up the burekas flag-style, be sure to pinch around the edges of each pastry to avoid filling spilling out during baking.

EASY CHEESE BOUREKAS (DAIRY)

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 F / 180 C. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• In a bowl, mix the egg, cheese, parsley, garlic salt, and pepper.
• Using a sharp knife, cut the puff pastry into 5-inch squares.
• Place a heaping tablespoon of cheese filling in each square.
• Dampen the edges of the squares with water, and fold in half diagonally to form triangular pastries.
• Pinch the edges together to seal the filling inside.
• Brush the tops of the bourekas with beaten egg and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until the pastries are puffed and golden, and the filling is cooked through. Serve immediately.

ISRAELI POTATO BOUREKAS (PAREVE)

Steps:

• Place the potatoes in a saucepan or stockpot with enough cold water to cover by 1 inch. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
• Cook uncovered until the potatoes are tender and easily pierced with a fork, 20 to 25 minutes.
• Drain the potatoes and place in a large bowl. Pass through a potato ricer or mash with a potato masher or wire whisk. Set aside to cool.
• If adding the onion and garlic, warm the oil (or melt the margarine or butter) in a large skillet set over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic and sauté until soft and translucent, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir the mixture into the potatoes.
• If you're not using the onions and garlic, simply add the olive oil, margarine, or butter to the potatoes.
• Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• In a small bowl, beat one of the eggs . While stirring the cool potato mixture, slowly add the beaten egg. Mix well until the egg is totally integrated into the mashed potatoes.
• Heat the oven to 375 F / 190 C. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper . Fill a small bowl with water. If using puff pastry sheets, cut them into 5-inch squares.
• Place a heaping tablespoon of filling in the center of each square. Dip your fingers in the water and dampen the edges of the squares, then fold in half diagonally or vertically to form triangular or rectangular pastries. Pinch the edges together to seal the filling inside.
• Beat the second egg and brush it over the tops of the bourekas. Sprinkle sesame seeds on top. Place the pastries on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes or until the bourekas are puffed and golden.
• Serve warm and enjoy.