Greens In Phyllo Food

PHYLLO PIE WITH GREENS

Steps:

• Make the phyllo: In a large bowl, combine flour and salt. Make a well in the center, and add warm water, 1/4 cup olive oil, and vinegar. Using a fork, work flour into the liquid until incorporated. Knead dough in bowl until it comes together, adding more flour if necessary, about 10 minutes. Cover, and let rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.
• In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add scallions and onions, and saute until wilted, about 10 minutes. Add mixed greens, and saute until wilted, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl, and add dill, parsley, mint, and chervil. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle trahana over filling, and combine.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly brush a 12 1/2-by-2-inch round cake pan with olive oil. Divide dough into six equal pieces. On a lightly floured surface, roll one piece of dough into a 6-inch round with a rolling pin. Roll dough out and onto itself around a 24-inch dowel, rotating dough frequently. (You should be able to see your hands through the dough.) Transfer dough to a work surface dusted with cornmeal. Repeat rolling-and-rotating process with remaining dough, stacking each on top of the other, dusted with cornmeal.
• Fit one sheet of phyllo dough into prepared pan. Brush with olive oil, and repeat with two more sheets of phyllo. Place filling on top of phyllo, spreading evenly. Drizzle with remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil. Top with remaining 3 sheets phyllo, brushing between layers with olive oil. Trim top and bottom crusts to create a 2-inch border around the perimeter of the loaf. Using a sharp knife, score pie through top and bottom crust in a diamond pattern.
• Transfer to oven, and bake until filling is set and crust is golden brown, about 1 hour. Let cool on a wire rack for at least 1 hour before serving.

HORTOPITA: GREEK SAVORY PIE WITH GREENS, HERBS AND FETA CHEESE

Steps:

• Preheat oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit (180 degrees Celsius).
• Wash and chop all the vegetables. Dry well.
• Heat a pot with 1-2 teaspoon olive oil on low to medium heat, add the greens and heat until spinach is wilted- about 3 minutes and liquids have evaporated. *Alternatively place all the greens in a big bowl, add salt and rub together. Let them sit for 15 minutes and then skip step and go to step 5 (five).
• Place spinach in colander and let it drain and cool. Once cool, squeeze the liquids out with your hands, place in large bowl.
• In a small bow beat the egg and add crumbled feta and a bit of salt and pepper for taste, add to greens and mix well.
• Take a round 8-9 inch pan and brush with olive oil.
• Spread a phyllo sheet and cut in half. Place phyllo in pan scrunching it so it fits in the pan, this will make for thicker and crispier base. Brush with olive oil and continue until you have 6 layers (using 3 sheets cut in half).
• Empty the greens mixture in the pan, spreading evenly.
• Cover with 6 layers of phyllo using the same technique as before. After placing the last phyllo sheet. Brush with olive oil, sprinkle with a bit of water and the sesame seeds if using.
• Score the top phyllo layers in 6-8 pieces, do not cut all the way through.
• Bake in the lower level of the oven for about 45 minutes. I usually place the pie all the way on the bottom directly on the oven for the last 10 minutes for a crunchy crust.
• Remove and let it cool. It can be enjoyed warm or at room temperature.

GREEK-STYLE DINNER PIE WITH LEFTOVER GREENS

Steps:

• In a large heavy skillet over medium heat, heat 1 tablespoon oil. Add the onion and sauté until tender, about 5 minutes. Add a generous pinch of salt and the garlic, stirring until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
• If using raw greens, add, stirring until wilted, 2 to 4 minutes depending on which greens are used. If using cooked greens, add, stirring just until heated. Add parsley and dill, and season with salt and pepper to taste
• Heat oven to 375 degrees. Brush a 10-inch tart or pie pan with oil. In a large bowl, beat the eggs until foamy. Add the feta and the greens mixture, and stir to combine.
• Spread a sheet of phyllo across the pan, so that the edges of it drape evenly over the pan. Gently fit the center of it into the base of the pan. Quickly and lightly, brush the phyllo with butter. Repeat with seven more sheets of phyllo, stacking them one on top of the other so that they form an asterisk pattern.
• Fill with the greens mixture, and fold the draped edges over to enclose the filling. Top with the remaining four sheets of phyllo, buttering each one, and again stacking in an asterisk pattern. Fold the edges under so that the dough extends about an inch beyond the rim of the pan, and then tuck the dough slightly into the pan, while rolling and twisting the edge under to shape a crust. Using a sharp knife, make several slashes through the top of the pie into the filling to allow steam to escape as the pie bakes.
• Bake the pie until the crust is crisp and golden brown, about 50 minutes. Serve hot, warm, or at room temperature. For a crispy crust, this is best served the same day baked.

WARM GOAT CHEESE IN PHYLLO

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Unroll the sheets of phyllo dough on a flat surface and cover them with a slightly damp towel. (If the towel is too wet, the dough will get sticky.) Working quickly so the dough doesn't dry out, place one sheet of phyllo on a board, brush lightly with melted butter, and sprinkle lightly with bread crumbs. Place a second sheet of phyllo on top, brush with melted butter, and sprinkle with bread crumbs. Continue until you have 4 sheets stacked up. Cut the sheets in half crosswise to make 2 almost-squares.
• Cut one of the goat cheeses in half horizontally, making 2 thin discs. Place each disc in the center of one phyllo square. Starting at one corner, fold the phyllo up over the cheese and continue folding and pleating the phyllo around the cheese, as though you're wrapping a round gift that's tied on top. You will end with extra phyllo dough on top; twist the excess into a topknot. Brush the discs all over with melted butter and place on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Continue with the remaining phyllo dough and 2 goat cheese discs to make 4 additional packages.
• Bake for 20 minutes, until the phyllo is lightly browned. Allow to cool for 5 minutes.
• While the cheese packages bake, place the salad greens in a large bowl. Whisk the vinegar, mustard, garlic, salt, and pepper together in a small bowl. Still whisking, slowly add the olive oil, making an emulsion. Toss the salad greens with enough vinaigrette to moisten.
• Distribute the salad among 6 plates and place one warm goat cheese package in the center of each plate. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and serve.

GREENS IN PHYLLO

Steps:

• Trim the stems and coarse veins off the greens. Rinse the leaves well and spin dry. Chop them finely and set aside with the garlic.
• Heat the oven to 300 degrees. Spread the pine nuts on a baking sheet and toast until golden brown, shaking occasionally, about five to seven minutes. Cool and chop coarsely. Set aside. Raise the oven temperature to 375 degrees.
• Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Saute the onion and bell pepper until soft, about five minutes. Raise the heat to medium-high and add the greens, garlic, wine, rosemary and cayenne. Cook, stirring constantly, until the greens are limp and bright green, about five to seven minutes. Transfer to a mixing bowl and cool.
• Stir in the Gruyere, Parmesan and pine nuts. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Beat the egg lightly and stir it in. Blend well.
• Butter a large sheet of wax paper. Unwrap the phyllo and remove one sheet, keeping the rest covered with a damp dish towel. Lay the sheet over the buttered paper. Brush thickly with more butter. Top with a second sheet and butter again. With a sharp knife, cut the sheets crosswise into eight strips.
• Place about a teaspoon of the greens mixture at the bottom of each strip. Fold the strips up flag style to make triangular packets. Place on a buttered baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining phyllo and filling. (Packets can be made to this point and refrigerated until ready to bake.)
• When ready to bake, brush the packets with melted butter. Bake them for 20 to 25 minutes, until they are crisp and golden brown. Cool slightly before serving.

GREEK BEET AND BEET GREENS PIE

Steps:

• Roast beets as directed and allow to cool. Slip off skins and slice in rounds.
• Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt generously and add beet greens. Blanch 1 minute, remove from water with a skimmer and transfer to a bowl of cold water. Drain and squeeze out excess water, taking greens up by the handful. Chop coarsely.
• Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium heat and add onion. Cook, stirring often, until tender, 5 to 8 minutes, and add garlic and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring, until garlic is fragrant, 30 seconds to a minute, and stir in blanched greens and salt and pepper to taste. Stir until ingredients are mixed and remove from heat.
• Whisk eggs in a large bowl and crumble in feta. Whisk together, then stir in greens and beets. Add chopped fresh parsley, mint and dill. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Preheat oven to 375ºF. Combine butter and remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a microwave-safe cup or bowl or in a small saucepan, and heat gently (50 percent power if using microwave) until butter has melted. Lightly brush a 10-inch straight-sided tart pan or cake pan, either ceramic or metal, with butter/oil mix.
• Lay a sheet of phyllo in the pan, tucking it into the seam, with edges overhanging the rim. Brush phyllo lightly with butter/oil mix and turn the pan slightly, then place another sheet on top, positioning it so the edges overlap another section of the pan's rim. Continue to layer in 5 more sheets of phyllo, brushing each one with butter and oil and staggering them so the overhang on the rim of the pan is evenly distributed and covers entire pan.
• Fill lined pan with beet and greens mix, scraping every last bit into the pan with a spatula, then fold overhanging phyllo edges in over the filling, brushing each one lightly with butter/oil mix. Layer remaining 5 sheets of dough over filling, brushing each sheet with butter and olive oil and rotating pan slightly after each addition. Crimp edges down into the sides of the pan. Brush top with butter and oil. Pierce top of pie in several places with a sharp knife. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, until top is golden brown. Serve warm or at room temperature. Recrisp crust in a low oven for 10 to 20 minutes if necessary before serving.

BAKED GOAT CHEESE IN PHYLLO WITH BABY GREENS HERBS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°F. Toss garlic with 1 tablespoon oil in small baking dish. Roast until garlic is very tender, about 20 minutes. Peel garlic. Transfer to small bowl. Mash to paste. Stir in goat cheese and basil. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Arrange 1 phyllo sheet so that 1 long side is parallel to edge of work surface. Brush half of phyllo crosswise with butter. Fold unbuttered half over as for book. Brush with melted butter. Sprinkle with 1 1/2 tablespoons breadcrumbs. Spoon 1/4 of goat cheese mixture along bottom edge of phyllo, leaving 1/2-inch border at bottom and on each side. Fold short sides in. Fold long edge over and roll up as for jelly roll. Place phyllo roll, seam side down, on heavy large baking sheet. Brush with butter. Repeat with remaining phyllo, butter, breadcrumbs and goat cheese mixture. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover tightly with plastic and refrigerate.)
• Preheat oven to 400°F. Bake phyllo rolls until golden, about 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, whisk vinegar, shallot and remaining 1 cup oil in small bowl until well blended. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Mix tarragon, chives and parsley in small bowl. Place greens in large bowl.
• Toss salad with enough dressing to season to taste. Divide among 6 plates. Using serrated knife, cut each phyllo roll diagonally into 2-inch slices. Arrange around edge of salads. Sprinkle herb mixture over salads.