english (341)

Greenpie

Vlach

Ingredients for 6-8 people

for the phyllo sheets:

1kg soft flour

1 & 1/2 cup warm water

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon vinegar

1 tablespoon olive oil

for the filling:

1/2 kg spinach

1/2leek and nettles

2 onions

1 bunch parsley

1 cup olive oil

Directions

Mix all the ingredients for the phyllo sheet together in a large bowl and knead until the dough is soft. Let it restfor 30 minutes.

Divide the dough and each piece in many smaller pieces. Spread each piece of dough with a rolling pin, grease it with olive oil and place them on top of one another, creating two pieces of dough with many layers.

Then roll each piece with a rolling pin into a phyllo sheet.

Chop the spinach, leeks, nettles and sauté them all together without oil, until they are tender.Remove any juices and add 3/4 cup of olive oil and the chopped parsley.

Grease a baking tray and place one of the phyllo sheets on the bottom of it. Pour the filling in and place the second phyllo sheet on top. Cut any pieces of dough that may be protruding and oil the top of the phyllo sheet. Beat one egg yolk with milk and olive oil and spread the mix on top of the pie.

Bake in a preheated oven at 180 degrees for 45 minutes.

Editing & photoshoot :
Stella Spanou
Author of Cooking Books, Award Winning Photographer

Varenika

Pontian

INGREDIENTS for 4 people

1/2 kg flour

2 cups water

1 tablespoon salt

1 egg

for the filling:

400 gmyzithra cheese

5 tablespoons cow butter

DIRECTIONS

Place the flour in a bowl and add the water, egg and salt.

Knead until the dough is firm, without sticking to your fingers. Let it rest covered with a towel forhalf an hour.

Divide the dough in portions, sprinkle them with flour and roll them out with a rolling pin into sheets. Cut each sheet into small squares of a 4x4cm dimensions.

Place a teaspoon of myzithra cheese in the center of each small square and fold it with your fingers to cover the stuffing.Press the edges gently with a fork, so that the filling won’t leak during boiling.

Boil water in a pot and add a spoonful of salt and a tablespoon of cow butter.

Place the Varenika into the boiling water and boil for 7-10 minutes.When they surface, take them out of the pot and place them on plates. Drizzle with melted cow butter and some yogurt.

Editing & photoshoot :
Stella Spanou
Author of Cooking Books, Award Winning Photographer

Manti

Caramanli

INGREDIENTS for 4-6 people

1/2 kg minced beef

1 large onion

2 tablespoons tomato sauce

1 cup oil

1 cup chicken broth

salt - pepper

For the dough:

1cup milk

1/2 packet baking powder

2 eggs

1 cup oil

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 kg flour

DIRECTIONS

Chop the onion and sauté in a saucepan.Add the minced beef while stirring constantly, to prevent it from sticking to the pan.When the meat is ready (approximately ten minutes), add salt, pepper and the tomato sauce. Let it boil for 5 minutes, then remove it from the stove wait for it to cool down.

Put the milk, oil, eggs, baking powder and the salt in a bowl and mix gently. Gradually add the flour to the mix until the dough is soft and let it rest for half an hour.

Roll out the dough in sheets with a rolling pin and cut them in small squares.Add a spoonful of the filling in each square sheet and close it with your fingers, linking the 4 edges together of the top to form a pouch. Grease a baking tray with oil and put the manti in the tray.

Bake in the oven at 200 degrees for 30 minutes.Once removed from the oven, pour the chicken broth over the manti and cover them with a towel to soak up the broth. Serve with yogurt.

Editing & photoshoot :
Stella Spanou
Author of Cooking Books, Award Winning Photographer

Peinirli

Constantinople

INGREDIENTS for 4-6 people

1/2 kg flour (all purpose)

1 teaspoon salt

1 packet yeast

1 teaspoon sugar

1 cup lukewarm water

10 pieces bacon

10 pieces cheese

3 sausages

DIRECTIONS

Pour the cup with the lukewarm water in a bowl and add salt, sugar, the yeast and the flour. Knead until the dough is soft.

Divide the dough into portions and roll a thin sheet.

Cut the sheets in pieces of 20x10cm dimensions and shape them like boats.

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees.

Bake the dough boats for about 15 minutes.

Remove them from the oven and place our ingredients (bacon, cheese and sausage pieces)inside the boat-like pastries; continue baking for 15 more minutes.Serve the peinirli warm.

Editing & photoshoot :
Stella Spanou
Author of Cooking Books, Award Winning Photographer