Greek Phyllo Seafood Rolls

GREEK PHYLLO SEAFOOD ROLLS

Steps:

• Squeeze the spinach with your hands to remove excess liquid.
• Put the spinach in a large bowl with ricotta, feta, lemon zest, dill weed and pepper.
• Stir to mix well.
• Heat the olive oil in a medium frying pan over medium heat.
• Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is tender, 3 to 4 minutes.
• Add the garlic and stir 20 to 30 seconds.
• Add the onion-garlic mixture to the bowl with the spinach; stir until well mixed.
• Stir in the shrimp and set aside.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Separate 1 sheet of the phyllo dough; lay it on the work surface with the long side toward you.
• (Keep the stack of remaining dough covered with plastic wrap to prevent it from drying.).
• Lightly brush the sheet with a little of the melted butter; lay another sheet evenly on top.
• Lightly brush half of the top sheet with more butter; fold the other half over to make a rectangle 8 x 11 inches.
• Lightly brush with a little more melted butter.
• Spoon a generous 1/4 cup of the filling along the bottom edge, leaving 1 inch of phyllo clear on all sides.
• Lift the bottom end of the sheet and fold it over the filling.
• Fold the sides over and press lightly; gently roll up.
• Set the roll seam-side down on a lightly greased baking sheet (you will need 2 baking sheets).
• Repeat to use the remaining filling and phyllo.
• Brush the tops of the rolls with melted butter.
• Bake until golden, 25 to 30 minutes.
• Serve hot or warm.

GREEK WALNUT ROLLS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• Combine nuts with cinnamon, cloves and sugar. Set aside.
• Brush three phyllo leaves generously with melted butter and stack them on each other evenly. Sprinkle evenly with a thin layer of the nut-sugar mixture.
• Brush three more sheets of dough with butter, stack them and lay them over the nut mixture. Sprinkle another layer of nuts on the top sheet of dough.
• Roll lengthwise, jellyroll fashion. Brush top of roll with melted butter. Prepare two more rolls in this fashion, using the remaining sheets of dough and nut mixture.
• Cut each roll into one-inch slices. Place the slices close together, side by side, in one or more baking pans.
• Bake about 30 minutes, or until the pastry is crisp and golden brown.
• While walnut rolls bake, prepare the syrup. Combine water, sugar, and lemon slice in a small, heavy-bottom saucepan and simmer for about 10 minutes, or until a light syrup is formed.
• Pour warm syrup over walnut rolls as soon as they are taken from the oven. Serve the cookies at room temperature. Store in airtight metal cookie tins.