I've made serval versions of tiropita (cheese pie). Some recipes use different cheeses, however my favorite combination is cottage cheese and feta. You can omit the onions, and herbs, however I enjoy the flavor they bring.
Greek CHEESE FILO TRIANGLES (TIROPITA)
Serves: 24
INGREDIENTS
1/2 medium onion
6 green onions
1 garlic cloved, crushed
½ lb. Greek feta cheese, crumbled
½ lb. cottage cheese, full fat
1 large egg, beaten
1 tablespoon, finely chopped dill
½ tsp. sea salt
¼ tsp. freshly ground pepper
olive oil for sauteing
½ lb. filo dough, thawed
½ cup butter, melted, for brushing on the filo (or more if needed)
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 350˚ F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside. Set filo on counter 30 min before baking.
2. Over medium heat, in 1 tablespoon of olive oil, sauté the onions and garlic until tender, cool. Combine cheeses, egg, cooked onions, dill, salt and pepper in a bowl. Stir until blended and set aside.
3. Set up your station: you will need a large cutting board, a spoon, a pastry brush and the filo dough. Unwrap the filo dough and cover it with a damp kitchen towel while you work.
4. Lay one sheet of filo horizontally oriented in front of you on your cutting board. Brush it with butter. Place a second sheet of filo on top of the first and brush it with some more olive oil. Run a knife down the filo dough every two inches and cut into even strips, 2 inches apart.
5. Place one spoonful of the cheese mixture at the end of each strip. Lift one corner and fold it over to enclose the filling and make a triangle. Continue folding from side to side, like a flag, till you get to the end of the strip. Brush it with some butter to seal the end.
6. Place on prepared pan, seem-side down. Brush the tops of the triangles with butter to keep them moist. Repeat process until you have used up all the filling.
Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool briefly before serving.
6. I serve these savory pastries on a Greek mezze board with tzatziki, hummus, olives, pepperoncini, tomatoes, cucumbers, rice crackers, feta, pita bread, and pistachios.
Note:
The night before you bake, place filo from freezer in the refrigerator.
You can make the tiropita or kreatopita in advance by filling and shaping the triangles. Freeze them on a baking sheet, then store in Ziplock bags. When ready to serve bake them directly from the freezer.
Kreatopita (meat filling)
Have your meat filling ready and follow starting at step 3 above to fill, shape, and bake.
The meat filling:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion
2 garlic cloves
1 lb. ground beef
1 tsp. salt
½ tsp. ground pepper
½ tsp. cumin
1 tsp. oregano
2 tablespoons tomato paste
½ cup water
1/2 cup wine, red or white
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped (optional)
INSTRUCTIONS
For the meat filling: heat the olive oil in a large skillet under medium-high heat. Cook the onion for a few minutes and then add the garlic. Cook for two minutes more until softened and lightly browned.
Add the ground beef to the skillet and brown well, breaking it up as you go with a wooden spoon. Stir in the seasonings and spices and cook for a few more minutes.
Add the tomato paste, water, and wine and reduce the heat. Simmer the mixture until most of the water is evaporated. Taste and adjust the seasonings. Stir in the fresh parsley and set aside to cool completely. Follow from step 3 above to make kreatopita triangles.
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