Burekas With Spinach Or Eggplant Filling Recipes

Steps:

• If using the eggplant-tomato filling, heat the oven to 425 degrees. Pierce the eggplant several times with a knife and roast on a parchment- or foil-lined baking sheet until the eggplant collapses and is completely soft, 35 to 40 minutes. When cool enough to handle, remove and discard the skin; transfer the flesh to a strainer to drain and set aside.
• Make the dough: In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade attachment, add the flour and salt and pulse briefly to combine. Add the butter and pulse just until the butter pieces are the size of peas. Slowly add the ice water and process just until combined. Form the dough into 2 disks about 1 inch thick, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, heat the oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• If using the spinach-feta filling: In a medium bowl, combine the spinach, feta and Parmesan. Season to taste with salt and pepper, then add egg and flour.
• If using the eggplant-tomato filling: In a medium-sized frying pan over medium heat, heat the olive oil. Add the onions, season with salt, and cook until beginning to soften but not brown, about 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes and eggplant, breaking them up with a wooden spoon, and cook until the mixture begins to thicken and loses some of its moisture, about 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper and remove from the heat. When the mixture has cooled, stir in the Parmesan, egg and flour.
• Working with one disk of dough at a time, on a lightly floured surface and using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll out the dough into a circle about 1/8-inch thick or slightly thinner. Using a 3 1/2-inch/9-centimeter circle cutter, cut as many circles as you can from the dough.
• Hold a circle in your hand and fill with 1 tablespoon of filling. Fold up the sides into a half-moon shape and pinch the edges closed to seal, crimping them if you like. Place the sealed bureka on the prepared baking sheet and repeat with the remaining dough.
• Brush the tops lightly with the egg wash and sprinkle with a large pinch of grated Parmesan. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until the crusts are golden brown.

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.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
• Place eggplant cutlets on a baking sheet.
• Bake on the center rack of the preheated oven for 10 minutes. Flip, and continue to bake until both sides are golden brown and cutlets are cooked through, 6 to 7 minutes more. Remove from the oven and reduce temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Mix ricotta cheese, spinach, egg, and garlic together in a medium bowl.
• Place 1/2 cup spaghetti sauce in the bottom of an 8-inch square baking dish and layer with 1/2 of the eggplant cutlets, 1/2 of the ricotta mixture, and 1/2 of the remaining sauce. Repeat layers with remaining eggplant, ricotta mixture, and sauce. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese over top.
• Bake in the preheated oven until cooked through and bubbling, about 30 minutes.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• Combine dough ingredients, adding the flour gradually until the dough pulls away from the bowl.
• Form a ball, cover with plastic wrap, and let rest 30 minutes at room temperature.
• Meanwhile, saute scallions and garlic in oil. Remove from heat and let cool, then add remaining filling ingredients and stir to mix.
• Form the dough into 1-inch balls and flatten to be 1/8 inch thick. Place a heaping teaspoon of filling in the center of each. Fold in half to make a half-moon shape and press on edges to seal. Place on a greased or nonstick baking tray.
• Brush with the egg mixture and sprinkle sesame seeds on top.
• Bake 30 minutes or until golden brown.

Steps:

• Cheese Filling.
• Beat the eggs in a small bowl. Add the cheddar and feta cheeses and pepper to taste. Mix well.
• Use about 1 tablespoon of filling for each bureka.
• Dough.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• Using a pastry brush, coat the bottom of a cookie sheet with some of the melted butter.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• Mix together the eggs, feta and cheddar cheeses, parsley, dill, and scallions. Add the spinach and salt and pepper to taste; mix well.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• Beat the eggs in a small bowl. Add the cheddar and feta cheeses and pepper to taste. Mix well.
• Use about 1 tablespoon of filling for each bureka.
• Other fillings:.
• Spinach.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• Yield: About 60 bureka triangles.