Summer Herb Feta Pies Recipes

Steps:

• Grate the zucchini using a food processor or a hand grater. Place in a large colander, salt generously, and let drain for 1 hour, pressing down on it occasionally to squeeze out liquid. After an hour, take up handfuls and squeeze out moisture (or wrap in a kitchen towel and twist the towel to squeeze out the moisture). Place in a bowl.
• Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium heat in a large, heavy nonstick skillet over medium heat, and add the onion. Cook, stirring, until tender, about five minutes, then add the garlic. Cook, stirring, until the garlic is fragrant, about one minute. Transfer to the bowl with the zucchini. Stir in the herbs, feta, eggs and pepper.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Oil a 10-inch pie or cake pan. If using phyllo, line the pie dish with seven pieces of phyllo, lightly brushing each piece with oil and turning the dish after each addition so that the edges of the phyllo drape evenly over the pan. Fill with the zucchini mixture. Fold the draped edges in over the filling, lightly brushing the folded in sheets of phyllo, then layer the remaining five pieces on top, brushing each piece with olive oil. Stuff the edges into the sides of the pan. If using the olive oil pastry, divide the dough into two equal pieces. Roll out the first ball to a circle 2 inches wider than the pan. Line the pan with the pastry, and brush with olive oil. Top with the filling. Roll out the remaining dough. Place over the filling. Press the edges of the top and bottom layers of dough together, and pinch to form an attractive lip around the edge.
• Make a few slashes in the top crust so that steam can escape as the pie bakes. Score in a few places with the tip of a knife, and brush with olive oil. Bake 50 to 60 minutes, until the pastry is golden brown. Remove from the heat, and allow to cool 15 to 30 minutes or to room temperature. Slice in wedges and serve.

Steps:

• Beat the eggs and milk in a bowl with salt and pepper to taste. Stir in the peas, chopped herbs, and Parmesan or feta.
• Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in a heavy, 8-inch nonstick omelet pan. Drop a bit of egg into the pan and if it sizzles and cooks at once, the pan is ready. Pour in the egg mixture, scraping in every last bit with a heat-proof rubber spatula. Swirl the pan to distribute the eggs and filling evenly over the surface. Shake the pan gently, tilting it slightly with one hand while lifting up the edges of the frittata with the spatula in your other hand, to let the eggs run underneath during the first few minutes of cooking. Once a few layers of egg have cooked during the first couple of minutes of cooking, turn the heat down to low, cover and cook 7 to 10 minutes, until the frittata is puffed and just about set. From time to time remove the lid and loosen the bottom of the omelet with a wooden or heat-proof rubber spatula, tilting the pan, so that the bottom doesn't burn. It will however turn golden.
• If the frittata is still runny on the top, wearing oven mitts, slide the frittata out onto a plate or even better, a saucepan lid that has a handle, reverse the pan over the plate or lid, and holding the two together, flip the plate or lid so that the frittata goes back into the pan on its not-quite-cooked side. Finish for no longer than a minute, then reverse onto a platter. Allow to cool to room temperature, and serve, or chill. Cut into 4 wedges to serve. The wedges pack well and are very portable.

Steps:

• Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Saute onion until soft, about 2 minutes. Add beef and brown slightly; drain excess fat. Stir in tomato, garlic powder, coriander, oregano, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper and cook until meat is evenly browned, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
• Remove one pie crust from pan and roll out on a lightly floured surface. Cut pastry into four 6 inch circles; place circles on lined cookie sheet and lightly brush with egg beat. Place 1/4 cup of feta cheese onto each circle and top with some beef mixture, leaving enough room to seal dough 'pockets'.
• Remove second pie crust from pan and roll out on lightly floured surface. Cut pastry into four 6 inch circles, as with first pie crust. Brush one side of each circle with egg beat and place, egg-side-down, on top of prepared pie circles. Pinch crusts together to seal around the edges. Use dough scraps to fill any holes or tears in the pie 'pockets'. Brush tops with egg beat and make a small slit in the top of each pie (to allow steam to escape).
• Bake in the preheated oven for 15 to 25 minutes, or until cooked through and golden brown.

Steps:

• Put the potatoes in a pan of salted water, bring to the boil, then simmer for 12-15 mins or until tender. Drain, leave to cool, then thinly slice. Whisk the eggs and egg whites with the milk, garlic, mustard and herbs, and season generously. Add the cream cheese and fold through just a little so that some lumps remain. Heat the grill to medium-high.
• Heat the oil over a medium heat in a 23cm non-stick frying pan. Add the potatoes and fry for about 5 mins, until they start to turn golden. Add the courgette and chilli flakes, and continue to fry for a couple mins more. Stir through the petit pois.
• Tip the egg mixture into the pan and scatter with the feta and tomatoes. Cook over a gentle heat for 10-12 mins until almost set. Pop the pan under the grill and cook for 3-5 mins until puffed, golden and cooked through. Cut into wedges and serve with a crisp green salad.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Remove any thick stalks from the watercress, then chop the rest and put in a food processor with the herbs and spring onions. Blitz for a few secs, then add the eggs, nutmeg and some seasoning, and blitz again briefly - you don't want too fine a chop. Tip the mixture into a bowl and stir in the feta and artichokes.
• Melt the butter and unwrap the filo sheets. Cut them into 12-13cm squares through the layers - you may have too much pastry but the leftovers can be re-wrapped and saved for another recipe . Stack 4 squares of pastry on top of each other, brushing lightly with butter as you go, offsetting each square to get a star shape all round the edge. Continue until you have 8 stacks.
• Press each stack into a deep-hole muffin tin and fill with the feta mixture. Fold over the pastry to enclose the filling, pinching it together. Brush the tops with the remaining butter and sprinkle with Parmesan. Bake for 25 mins until the pastry is golden and crisp. Leave to cool for a few mins, then remove the tins and cool completely on a wire rack. Pack into a plastic container to take to the picnic and serve with a tomato salad, if you like.