Kasha In Phyllo Recipes

HOW TO COOK BUCKWHEAT KASHA

Steps:

• Rinse and drain buckwheat well.
• In a medium sauce pan, combine buckwheat with 1 3/4 cups water, 1 Tbsp butter and 1/2 tsp salt. Bring to a simmer then cover with a tight fitting lid and simmer on low for 18-20 min. Just like with rice, you should hear hissing while cooking and it will get quiet when done. Stir in additional 1 Tbsp butter if desired.
• Transfer all ingredients to the rice cooker and set on the white rice setting. When done, add an extra Tbsp of butter if desired and stir in 1-2 tsp water to moisten up the kernels if they seem dry. Serve hot.

NEW YORK KNISH - YO!

Steps:

• Place potatoes into a pot with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, and cook until tender. Drain, and set aside.
• While the potatoes are boiling, heat 1/4 cup butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Stir in onions, and cook until soft and translucent.
• In a large bowl, mash the potatoes until smooth. Mix in onion and butter mixture, crumbled bouillon, and salt and pepper to taste.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease a baking sheet.
• Layer 3 sheets of phyllo dough one on top of the other, and cut this triple-layered sheet in half. Drop one spoonful of potato mixture into each phyllo piece. Roll dough around mixture, tucking ends under. Repeat this step with remaining sheets of phyllo dough to make 12 knishes. Brush with remaining 1/4 cup butter, and place on baking sheet.
• Bake in a preheated oven 30 to 40 minutes, or until golden brown.

BUCKWHEAT KASHA WITH MUSHROOMS

Steps:

• On a dry skillet over medium heat, roast the buckwheat until it's a golden brown color.
• Re-hydrate the mushrooms by placing in a bowl and covering with hot water.Let it stand for about ten minutes.
• Meanwhile, in a medium pot, cook bacon over medium heat until golden brown and crispy. Transfer with a slotted spoon to drain on a paper towel.
• Pour out all the bacon grease, except 1 Tablespoon and cook the onion, seasoning with salt, in the same pot, over medium heat 5-8 min, covered, until soft and beginning to brown.
• Drain, rinse and chop the mushrooms.
• Add the butter, mushrooms and buckwheat. Roast for 2-4 min, until the buckwheat is aromatic.
• Pour in the boiling water, bring to a boil, season with salt, reduce the heat to low and cook for about 30 min, until the buckwheat has cooked through.
• Add the bacon to the kasha when adding the water or stir it in when the kasha is cooked.
• Add a slab of butter to the warm kasha when serving.

KASHA VARNISHKES AT WOLFF'S IN NEW JERSEY

Steps:

• 1. Sauté the onions in 2 tablespoons of the margarine or chicken fat in a heavy frying pan with a cover until golden. Remove to a plate.
• 2. Beat the egg in a small mixing bowl and stir in the kasha. Mix, making sure all the grains are coated. Put the kasha in the same frying pan, set over a high heat. Flatten, stir, and break up the egg-coated kasha with a fork or wooden spoon for 2 to 4 minutes or until the egg has dried on the kasha and the kernels brown and mostly separate.
• 3. Add the water or bouillon, salt, and pepper to the frying pan and bring to a boil. Add the onions, cover tightly, and cook over low heat, steaming the kasha for 10 minutes. Remove the cover, stir, and quickly check to see if the kernels are tender and the liquid has been absorbed. If not, cover and continue steaming for 3 to 5 minutes more.
• 4. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook the bow-tie noodles according to the directions on the package. Drain.
• 5. When the kasha is ready, combine with the noodles. Adjust the seasoning, sprinkle with the parsley and coriander. If desired, add a bit more margarine or chicken fat.

KASHA IN PHYLLO

Steps:

• Heat oil or butter in a heavy 3-quart saucepan. Add onion and cook, stirring, over medium heat until it turns golden. Add mushrooms and saute, stirring, until they give off their liquid, the liquid evaporates and the mushrooms begin to brown.
• Beat the egg white until it is bubbly, then stir in the kasha. Mix well to coat the grains of kasha. Add kasha to onion and mushroom mixture and stir until the grains look separate.
• Bring the stock to a boil, stir it into the kasha mixture, cover the pan and cook over low heat until the kasha is tender and fluffy and the liquid is absorbed, about 12 minutes. Remove from heat and season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Depending on the size of the sheets of phyllo, cut them in half or quarters to make about 48 small sheets about 6 by 8 inches. Keep unused sheets of phyllo covered with a lightly dampened cloth while you work with the individual sheets.
• Brush a sheet of phyllo lightly with melted butter then repeat with three more sheets of phyllo. Center three heaping tablespoons of the kasha and mushroom mixture in a high mound on the sheet of phyllo and fold one side of the sheet over the top. Brush edge with butter, fold the other side over, brush with butter again and fold the ends over the top to form a plump pillow-shaped pastry turnover. Place the pastry, seam-side down, on a lightly greased baking sheet. Brush the top and sides with butter. Repeat this step until you have used all the phyllo and the filling. There should be about 12 pastries.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake the phyllo pastries about 30 minutes, until golden brown. If they seem to be browning much faster on the bottom, invert them halfway through the baking time. The fully baked pastries can be frozen for future use and reheated in the oven or frozen unbaked and baked before serving.
• Serve with sour cream or yogurt on the side.