TIROPITA (CHEESE PIE)

Serving size: 6 to 8 servings

Ingredients:
6 - 8 cups milk
1 cup flour
2 sticks (½ pound) butter
2 pounds crumbled feta cheese
5 - 6 eggs
½ pound phyllo pastry

Directions:

1. Beat the eggs thoroughly and mix the crumbled feta cheese.

2. In a pot, simmer the milk and the butter.

3. Add the flour stirring constantly so that the mixture doesn’t crumble.

4. When the mixture has thickened remove from the heat and add the crumbled feta cheese and the beaten eggs. Stir the mixture well.

5. Melt the butter for brushing the phyllo. In a 12" x 16" baking dish spread half of the phyllo brushing each layer one by one with the butter.

6. Add the cheese mixture to it. Cover the mixture with the other half of the phyllo, brushing again each layer one by one with the butter.

7. With a knife, score the top of the pie with thin lines that divide it into two-by-two inch squares. Put the pie into the oven for 45 - 60 minutes until its surface has a nice brown colour. Serve hot.

SPINACH PIE IN PHYLLO DOUGH

Ingredients:
1 box Phyllo Pastry sheets
vegetable oil spray
garlic – crushed
4 tbsp olive oil
2 packs Spinach, frozen – chopped
1 cup chopped parsley – fresh
4 green onions – finely chopped
1 tsp dried dill weed
½ tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
1 cup ricotta cheese
1 egg
4 ounces feta cheese – crumbled

Directions:

1. Thaw and drain the 4 10 oz. packages of spinach. Set aside.

2. To make the filling, squeeze the spinach between your hands to remove most of the liquid.

3. Place in a bowl or in a food processor. Add parsley, green onions, dill, salt and pepper. Stir in the ricotta cheese, egg, and feta cheese. Combine well.

4. Lightly coat a 9 x 13 inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.

5. Lay one sheet of phyllo in the bottom of the dish and drape the edges over the sides of the dish. Spray lightly with cooking spray and cover with another sheet phyllo dough. Brush that sheet with garlic-olive oil mixture. Layer a total of four sheets, coating each alternatively with nonstick cooking spray and olive oil.

6. Spread half the filling over the prepared phyllo dough. Lay another sheet of dough over the filling and coat lightly with cooking spray. Lay down another sheet and lightly coat with olive oil. Continue alternating spray and olive oil for a total of four sheets.

7. Layer remaining spinach filling on dough. Continue layering phyllo dough over the filling, spraying the first sheet and alternately brushing with olive oil and spraying subsequent sheets.

8. When finished, brush the surface with olive oil and roll edges of the dough inward to create an attractive rim around the outside.

9. Score the surface with a sharp knife into 12 portions.

10. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Bake for 40 minutes until golden. Allow to cool 10 minutes before serving.

TIROPITAKIA (PHYLLO TRIANGLES STUFFED WITH CHEESE)

Makes: 75 pieces

Ingredients:1 pound feta cheese
12 ounces cottage cheese
5 eggs
½ cup finely chopped parsley or dill
2 sticks (½ pound) butter, melted, for brushing phyllo (half margarine can be used)
1 pound phyllo pastry

Directions:
1.Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2.Crumble feta cheese into small pieces. Add cottage cheese and blend well. Add eggs and beat thoroughly. Mix in parsley or dill.
3.Prepare cheese triangles. Use 1 tsp filling for each triangle. Place triangles in ungreased cookie sheets. Brush tops with melted butter. Bake triangles for 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden. Let cool about 5 minutes before serving.
4.NOTE: Triangles can be prepared ahead of time and frozen, unbaked. When ready to use, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake without prior thawing for 35 minutes, or until golden. Serve warm.

FAKI (LENTIL SOUP)

Makes: 6 to 8 servings

1 pound lentils

2 quarts water

1 cup chopped onions

2 stalks celery, chopped

1 carrot, chopped

2 tsp minced garlic

½ cup olive oil

1 tbsp tomato paste

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Bay leaves

Salt to taste (about ¼ tsp)

3 tbsp wine vinegar or lemon juice

1. Rinse lentils in cold water in colander; drain.
2. Saute vegetables and garlic in olive oil for 2 to 3 minutes, until wilted.
3. Add lentils and water along with tomato paste, parsley, and bay leaves.
4. Bring to boil and simmer covered 45 minutes, or until lentils are tender. In last 15 minutes of cooking add ¼ tsp of salt.
5. Stir in vinegar before serving.

SOUPA AVGOLEMONO (EGG AND LEMON SOUP)

3 10 ½ ounce cans of chicken broth
1/3 cup uncooked rice
2 eggs
4 tbsp lemon juice
4 thin slices of lemon or garnish
2 tbsp chopped parsley or garnish

1. In a heavy saucepan bring broth to a boil turn down heat and add rice and stir.
2. Cover pan, let simmer until rice is tender.
3. Beat eggs and lemon juice together with wire whisk. Let sit.
4. When rice is cooked remove pan from heat.
5. Carefully add two cups broth to eggs and lemon juice while stirring or eggs will curdle.
6. Add the remaining broth to egg mixture while stirring. Carefully reheat soup, until it comes to a gentle boil. Remove from heat immediately. Serve with lemon and parsley on top.

CHICKEN OKRA

1 large chicken, jointed
1 tbsp Thyme
3 lbs tomatoes, canned
4 tbsp Olive oil
1 large onion, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
1 ½ lbs prepared fresh okra
1 tbsp oregano
some chopped parsley
salt
pepper

1. Rinse and dry the chicken pieces.
2. Place the oil in a wide saucepan and when hot, fry the chicken pieces on both sides until they become golden.
3. Take the chicken out, add and fry onion and garlic until they are pale brown.
4. Add the oregano, thyme, tomatoes and water, pressing them with a wooden spoon to break them up.
5. Bring to the boil.
6. Season with salt and pepper, add the chicken pieces, cover and cook the chicken for 20 minutes and than add 1 ½ lbs of prepared okra on top.
7. The okra should sit in but not be covered by the sauce.
8. Add a little water if needed. Shake the pan and cook slowly for about 30 minutes without stirring, but rotating the saucepan occasionally.
9. Continue cooking until the water has evaporated and the sauce has reduced and thickened.
10. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.

GREEK CHICKEN TRADITIONAL

1 boneless chicken breast
1 lump of feta cheese
1 slice of mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup of green peppers

1. Grill the chicken breast until done.
2. Melt the mozza cheese on top of the chicken.
3. Place the feta cheese on the melted cheese and place the green peppers on top.
4. Serve on a bed of Greek style rice. (Pilafi)

SOUVLAKI (BARBECUED)

Makes: 4 servings

2 lbs meat (beef, lamb, pork)
5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
olive oil
1 tbsp oregano
salt
pepper

1. Cut the meat into 2 x 2 inch cubes.
2. Mix with the rest of the ingredients and marinate overnight, in the refrigerator.
3. Create marinade by mixing olive oil, lemon juice and oregano.
4. Skewer with favourite vegetables. (mushrooms, peppers, onions, tomatoes).
5. Barbecue at medium heat, basting with marinade.
6. When meat is done, serve.

FRESH GROUPER

1 lb fresh black grouper fillets
1 lb tomatoes, halved
1 medium onion, sliced
½ cup Greek olives
3 cloves garlic, diced
1 red or yellow bell pepper, diced
¼ cup white wine
¼ lb Feta, cubed
extra virgin olive oil

1. Cut the fillets into approximately 1½ inch cubes.
2. Put all ingredients into a shallow oven pan.
3. Pour over fish generous portion of extra virgin olive oil.
4. Bake in oven until fish can be separated into flakes with fork.
5. Serve in pan with juices. Add Feta to taste.

SHRIMP IN SHELL

1½ lbs Jumbo shrimps
olive oil
salt
juice of 1 lemon
oregano

1. Cook the shrimp with salt. Do not overcook.
2. Drain shrimp and place on platter. Gently pour olive oil and lemon juice over shrimp. Season with oregano.
3. Serve with Greek salad and crusty bread.