Turkish Spinach Feta Borek Recipes

TURKISH BOREK RECIPE (SIGARA BOREK)

Steps:

• First, know that yufka, like phyllo dough, is delicate and might break. That's completely okay.
• To make the spinach filling: Heat olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Saute onion until golden, add spinach and cook until the spinach is wilted. Once the spinach is cool enough to handle, mix it with cheese, salt and pepper.
• To make potato filling: Wash and peel the potato. Cut it into large chunks and boil until fork tender. Mash the potato completely and add Aleppo pepper, salt and black pepper.
• To make the cheese filling: Mix cheese with parsley, salt and pepper.
• Place a triangle shaped yufka dough on a clean surface, with the wide side facing you. Wet your finger with water and moisten the edges. This will help the edges to stick while rolling.
• Add one to two tablespoon of filling one inch away from the wide edge and form it into a thin log.
• Fold the outer corners over the filling and roll the borek. Dip your index finger in water and wet the edges again and roll tightly. Set aside and continue with the remaining yufka and filling.
• Heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a non stick pan over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, place the boreks in the oil and fry on all sides until crispy and golden. Don't over crowd the pan. Place the boreks on a kitchen paper towel to absorb the excess oil.
• Continue with the remaining boreks and add more oil if needed.

SPINACH AND FETA BOREK

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Make the filling: In a large bowl, combine spinach, parsley, dill, scallions, oregano and eggs and stir to incorporate. Season with salt and pepper, then add Maras pepper, feta and Manchego, and stir well.
• Brush a 10-inch pie plate or skillet with lightly with olive oil. (You can also use a 9-by-13-inch pan for a rectangular pie.) Line with 1 sheet of phyllo, letting the excess fall over the sides of the pan. Brush phyllo lightly with olive oil, then follow with 2 more sheets, brushing each with oil.
• Pour the filling into the phyllo-lined pan, spreading it to the edges with the back of a spoon. Top with 3 more sheets of phyllo, brushing each sheet with olive oil before adding the next.
• Fold the ends of the phyllo back over the top and toward the center of the borek, and brush with oil. With the palm of your hand, press down on top layer to make the pie compact. (Alternatively, roll the excess toward the center to form a rim.)
• Bake for 30 minutes, until golden. Let rest for a few minutes before cutting into wedges. The borek is also good served at room temperature.

SPINACH AND CHEESE FILLED FILO PASTRY TRIANGLES; MUSKA BOREGI

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 180c/350 F/gas mark 4
• Remove the stalks of the spinach, wash and chop roughly.
• Mix together in a bowl with the feta cheese, 1 tablespoon olive oil, shredded mozzarella and two of the beaten eggs; the filling is ready.
• In a separate bowl, mix 1 egg and 2 tablespoons olive oil.
• Grease a rectangular baking dish with a little olive oil.
• Lay the pastry sheets on a clean surface and cut into 10cmx25cm stripes.
• Stack the stripes on top of another and cover with a damp towel so that they won't dry out.
• Keep a bowl of water near you.
• Lay two stripes of filo sheets at top of one another.
• Place 1 tablespoon of the spinach mixture at one end of the filo pastry strip.
• Fold the end of the strip over the filling diagonally so that it forms a triangle.
• Continue folding the strip in triangles until you get a small, triangular stuffed pastry.
• Seal the pastry all around with the water; water really helps to keep filo sheets intact here. Repeat with remaining filo until you have used all of the filling.
• Place the stuffed triangle pastries on the greased baking dish and brush them with the egg & olive oil mixture.
• Bake the triangles in the oven for about 20 - 25 minutes, until they are is golden brown. Serve hot as an appetizer or as part of a mezze spread.This dish can be successfully reheated.

TURKISH SPINACH & FETA BOREK

Steps:

• To make the filling: Fry the onion in the olive oil on a medium heat for a few minutes until a pale golden colour. Add the salt & pepper, followed by the spinache & cook for a further couple of minutes. Remove from the heat & stir in the feta then set aside to cool.
• In a bowl, whisk the eggs, olive oil & milk.
• Grease a 2L casserole dish. Place 2 sheets of the phyllo in the bottom of the casserole - the phyllo should cover the bottom & the sides of the casserole. Brush 2-3 tbsp of the eggy mix over the top of the phyllo.
• Take another 2 sheets of phyllo, this time folding them so that they cover the bottom of the casserole only & brush with the eggy mix.
• Spread the spinach & feta filling over the phyllo & level gently with the back of a spoon.
• Cover the filling with another 2 sheets of phyllo, remebering to brush with the eggy mix. Contine layering the phyllo until it is used up. When you have used the last 2 sheets of phyllo, brush with the eggy mix then gently pull up the bottom sheet of phyllo & place it over the top sheet.
• Use the rest of the eggy mix to cover the top of the borek - this is important to stop it from burning.
• Place in the fridge to set for 3 hours then cook in a preheated oven at 1750c / 350f. Bake in the middle of the oven until it is golden brown.