Greek Greens Pie With Cornmeal Crust Recipes

GREEK-STYLE DINNER PIE WITH LEFTOVER GREENS

Steps:

• In a large heavy skillet over medium heat, heat 1 tablespoon oil. Add the onion and sauté until tender, about 5 minutes. Add a generous pinch of salt and the garlic, stirring until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
• If using raw greens, add, stirring until wilted, 2 to 4 minutes depending on which greens are used. If using cooked greens, add, stirring just until heated. Add parsley and dill, and season with salt and pepper to taste
• Heat oven to 375 degrees. Brush a 10-inch tart or pie pan with oil. In a large bowl, beat the eggs until foamy. Add the feta and the greens mixture, and stir to combine.
• Spread a sheet of phyllo across the pan, so that the edges of it drape evenly over the pan. Gently fit the center of it into the base of the pan. Quickly and lightly, brush the phyllo with butter. Repeat with seven more sheets of phyllo, stacking them one on top of the other so that they form an asterisk pattern.
• Fill with the greens mixture, and fold the draped edges over to enclose the filling. Top with the remaining four sheets of phyllo, buttering each one, and again stacking in an asterisk pattern. Fold the edges under so that the dough extends about an inch beyond the rim of the pan, and then tuck the dough slightly into the pan, while rolling and twisting the edge under to shape a crust. Using a sharp knife, make several slashes through the top of the pie into the filling to allow steam to escape as the pie bakes.
• Bake the pie until the crust is crisp and golden brown, about 50 minutes. Serve hot, warm, or at room temperature. For a crispy crust, this is best served the same day baked.

GREEK GREENS PIE WITH CORNMEAL CRUST

Steps:

• 1. If using spinach, wash the leaves, then steam, in batches if necessary, for 1 to 2 minutes, just until wilted. If using chard or beet greens, either steam 3 to 4 minutes, until wilted, or blanch in salted boiling water for about 2 minutes. Transfer the wilted greens to a bowl of cold water, then drain and squeeze out moisture. Chop medium-fine and set aside in a large bowl. 2. Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over medium heat in a large, heavy skillet and add the onion. Cook, stirring, until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the scallions and cook for another minute, then stir in the greens and chopped herbs. Toss everything together, season to taste with salt and pepper, and remove from the heat. Add the feta and stir together. 3. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Oil a 10-inch round baking dish or cake pan. I prefer to use an earthenware baking dish. 4. Combine the milk and 1/2 cup water in a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Add salt to taste and slowly stream in the cornmeal while stirring with a whisk or a wooden spoon. If you don't add it in a very fine stream it will lump. Stir until the mixture is thick, like polenta. Remove from the heat and place half of the mixture in your oiled baking dish. Moisten your hands and spread the cornmeal mixture over the bottom of the pan in a thin, even layer. 5. Spread the greens over the cornmeal bottom crust in an even layer. Dilute the remaining cornmeal mixture with water until it is the consistency of wet sand. Stir in the remaining olive oil. Spoon it over the greens and spread, using the back of a spoon or moistened hands, in an even layer. Don't worry if it doesn't cover every bit of the top. 6. Bake 45 minutes to 1 hour in the preheated oven, until the top is browned. Remove from the heat and allow to sit for 30 minutes before cutting.

MIXED-GREENS PIE WITH CORNMEAL CRUST

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 10-inch straight-sided skillet or baking pan with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. In a deep-sided sauté pan at least 12 inches wide, heat 1/3 cup olive oil over medium heat. Add the leeks and cook, stirring occasionally, until they have softened but not colored, about 10 minutes. Add as many of the greens as can fit in the pot, along with 1 teaspoon salt. Stir and cover until the greens have wilted, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the remaining greens, stir, and cover until they have wilted, another 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the scallions, dill and parsley. Transfer the mixture to a colander set over a bowl and let cool to room temperature.
• Meanwhile, in a large bowl, mix the kefalograviera, ricotta and manouri. Squeeze excess liquid from the cooled greens and add them to the cheeses. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir in the eggs and set aside.
• In a small saucepan, heat the milk over medium heat until it starts to bubble. Whisk in the cornmeal and 1 teaspoon salt. Continue stirring as the mixture thickens into an almost unstirrable paste. Remove from the heat. With lightly floured fingers, press half of the mixture into a thin layer across the bottom of the prepared pan. Top with the greens and cheese filling, spreading each evenly to the edges. Stir about 1/2 cup water into the remaining cornmeal to make a milkshake-thick batter (there will be a few lumps). Pour the thinned batter across the filling (some greens will poke through). Drizzle the remaining tablespoon of olive oil across the top of the pie. Bake until firm and golden brown around the edges, about 1 hour.
• Serve warm or at room temperature, with Greek yogurt on the side.

PHYLLO PIE WITH GREENS

Steps:

• Make the phyllo: In a large bowl, combine flour and salt. Make a well in the center, and add warm water, 1/4 cup olive oil, and vinegar. Using a fork, work flour into the liquid until incorporated. Knead dough in bowl until it comes together, adding more flour if necessary, about 10 minutes. Cover, and let rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.
• In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add scallions and onions, and saute until wilted, about 10 minutes. Add mixed greens, and saute until wilted, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl, and add dill, parsley, mint, and chervil. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle trahana over filling, and combine.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly brush a 12 1/2-by-2-inch round cake pan with olive oil. Divide dough into six equal pieces. On a lightly floured surface, roll one piece of dough into a 6-inch round with a rolling pin. Roll dough out and onto itself around a 24-inch dowel, rotating dough frequently. (You should be able to see your hands through the dough.) Transfer dough to a work surface dusted with cornmeal. Repeat rolling-and-rotating process with remaining dough, stacking each on top of the other, dusted with cornmeal.
• Fit one sheet of phyllo dough into prepared pan. Brush with olive oil, and repeat with two more sheets of phyllo. Place filling on top of phyllo, spreading evenly. Drizzle with remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil. Top with remaining 3 sheets phyllo, brushing between layers with olive oil. Trim top and bottom crusts to create a 2-inch border around the perimeter of the loaf. Using a sharp knife, score pie through top and bottom crust in a diamond pattern.
• Transfer to oven, and bake until filling is set and crust is golden brown, about 1 hour. Let cool on a wire rack for at least 1 hour before serving.

SPANAKOPITA (GREEK GREENS PIE )

Steps:

• Cook spinach til tender; drain, lightly squeeze out excess water and place in med bowl. Add 1 tbsp olive oil, lemon juice and rind to spinach; mix well. Set aside.
• Saute onions with spices in 2 tbsp olive oil until onions are transparent. Stir in rice, water and raisins; heat through. Set aside.
• In separate bowl, beat eggs lightly with pepper. Add feta cheese and mix well. Set aside.
• In a 9" oiled deep pie pan, lay one sheet of phyllo on the bottom of the pan and brush entire surface with melted butter. Top with 7 more sheets, one by one, brushing each and rotating each sheet 20 degrees. There will be over-hang.
• Over that, carefully layer the onion mixture, then the spinach, then the cheese.
• Cover with a top 'crust' of phyllo by repeating same procedure as step 4: Eight sheets, each brushed with butter and rotated.
• Roll-up the overhanging dough to form a seal. Brush top with melted butter.
• Bake 350 degrees, for 1/2 hour. Lay a piece of foil over top and continue to bake for another 1/2 hour or until done.
• Allow to cool to room temperature before eating.

GREEK GREENS PIE

Steps:

• If using spinach, it needs to be steamed 1 to 2 minutes to wilt; chard or beet greens need to steam 3 to 4 minutes to wilt.
• Transfer wilted greens to a bowl of cold water to stop the cooking; squeeze out as much moisture as you can.
• Chop and set aside in a large bowl.
• In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium heat and cook the onion, stirring, until tender, about 5 minutes; add green onions and cook another minute.
• Stir in the greens and chopped herbs; season with salt and pepper and toss well.
• Stir in the feta cheese.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F; oil a 10 inch round baking dish or cake pan.
• In a medium saucepan, bring milk and 1/2 cup water to a simmer, over medium heat; add salt and slowly stream in the cornmeal while stirring with a whisk or wooden spoon to prevent clumping.
• Continue to stir until the mixture thickens like polenta.
• Remove from heat and spread half the mixture in your prepared pan in a thin, even layer; spread the greens over the cornmeal in another even layer.
• Dilute the remaining cornmeal with water until it resembles wet sand then stir in the remaining oil; spoon over the greens and smooth into an even layer (don't worry if it doesn't completely cover the greens).
• Bake until the top is browned, about 45 minutes to an hour.
• Remove and let sit for 30 minutes before cutting to allow the crusts to set up.
• NOTE: You can make this several hours before serving and heat in a slow oven. It is also good at room temperature. It will keep, refrigerated, 3 days.