Month: November 2020

I love bourekas. If you don’t know what they are and you know Greek food think spanikopita (with or without spinach) and a bit of a different pastry. Anyway its a pastry filled with cheese and it is delicious. You can find these in Jewish or Mediterranean Bakeries and many Bagel shops here in Toronto.

This recipe came to be from a wonderful patient named Vera Gutmanovitcz. She gave me permission to share her name – actually she said she is “happy and proud to be my patient” so I was welcome to identify her. Just typing that made me tear up a bit. I love you guys. Anyway, this is her yummy yummy recipe and it is really easy – she uses the frozen pre made puff pastry you can buy at any grocery store but you can also make your own (I didn’t). This version of bourekas was so tasty and easy my husband Ryan asked where they all were this morning. Gone, babe, they are gone… I will make more this weekend.

Ingredients for Bourekas

2 sheets of puff pastry

1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese and 1/3 cup grated kashkaval cheese – or substitue another 1/3 cup feta cheese)

1/3 cup ricotta chese

1 large egg

salt and pepper

egg yolk – one – reserved for brushing on top of pastry prior to baking and sesame or poppy seeds for topping.

non stick oil spray

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a mixing bowl combine cheeses and egg and a pinch of salt and pepper (if using feta you can skip the salt). Use a fork to blend and break up any feta and set aside. On a floured surface unfold puff pastry and roll to 12×12 square. Cut into 9 equal sized squares about 4×4 “each.

Place one tablespoon cheese filling in centre of each square and fold into triangle using fork to crimp together (if it doesn’t stay try wetting your finger and run along edges of dough to help it stick. Place on sprayed cookie trays or line with parchment. In a small bowl mix yolk and 2 tsp cool water and use pastry brush to brush layer of egg wash on each boureka. sprinkle sesame seeds on top and bake 30 mins. Switch trays on racks half way through baking. Bake until golden.

These can be frozen prior to baking too. Prepare and fill and do not coat with egg. Freeze in layers in tupperware or on cookie sheet and store separated by wax or parchment paper. When ready to bakd take them out of freezer coat with thin layer of egg wash and sesame seeds and bake frozen at 350 F for 30-40 mins until golden.

Hope you loved these bourekas as much as I did! Thank you Vera!

Growing up this one was a staple from my Mom’s kitchen. Modified from the old country using readily available ingredients in the 1980s it makes this classic super easy and very tasty. I had totally forgotten about it until my sister asked for the recipe (I am the Keeper of the Cookbooks) and so I found them for her and was inspired to make Chicken Paprikash. Try it, you’ll like it.

Ingredients for Chicken Paprikash

2.5 lb chicken breasts or skinless legs

1 can tomato soup

bay leaf

1 can sliced mushrooms drained

2 Tbsp shortening

paprika – 2 tsp

1/2 cup sour cream full fat

cooked noodles or spatzle (German noodles) or you can make and serve over flour dumplings

Instructions

So this is pretty darn easy. Brown the chicken in shortening and pour off fat (yes, I know but this is an 80s recipe adapted from the old school old country recipe – don’t use it if you don’t want to but it does taste better. Anyway just brown the chicken). Add remaining ingredients except noodles. Cover and cook over low heat for 45 minutes or until tender. Remove bay leaf and serve with noodles. Serves 4-6.

So good. A taste home and reminder of Mom and my Omi (Grandmother). I served over spatzle – traditionally over flour dumplings but I have lost that recipe – the one above is the closest I can find (spoon dumplings in link) I will have to give it a try. Hope you love Chicken Paprikash as much as I do.