Turkish Meat Pie in Fillo Dough (recipe, meat)

Turkish Meat Pie in Fillo Dough M Serves: 10

The aroma that fills the house from baking this dish will have your guests rushing to the table. Make sure you present it whole so that everyone can appreciate your handiwork with the fillo dough!
Prep Time: 60 min.  Baking time: 40-45 min.
Make two at a time and freeze one for another occasion. While you can freeze it baked, the texture of the fillo is better if you freeze it unbaked and bake it right before dinner.
Ingredients (for two meat pies)
4 tablespoons olive oil
6 garlic cloves-finely minced or crushed through garlic press
1 large onion-peeled and minced
6 tablespoons pine nuts (sunflower seeds if anyone is allergic to nuts)
2 pounds chopped meat (all beef or beef and veal)
5 teaspoons ground cinnamon
4 teaspoons dried oregano
1 large bunch Italian parsley-stems removed, leaves chopped
Freshly ground black pepper
1 pound box fillo dough-thawed
2 eggs
2/3 cup vegetable oil
1 ¼ cups non-dairy soy milk
Equipment
Two 10 inch spring form pans
Large skillet
Medium mixing bowl
pastry brush
dish towel to cover fillo dough
Directions

1. Heat olive oil in skillet over medium high flame. Add onion to skillet. Stir well and cook until onions have softened and become translucent. Add garlic and nuts/seeds. Sauté until nuts/seeds have turned golden brown.  Pinch off small pieces of chopped meat and add to skillet. Stir vigorously until meat has lost its color and is thoroughly mixed with onion and garlic. Add cinnamon, oregano and parsley. Stir well. Taste. Add pepper as needed. Cool until first pan is lined with fillo dough.
2. Beat eggs, soy milk and vegetable oil together in mixing bowl. Set aside.
3. Preheat oven to: 400 F.
4. Unwrap fillo dough carefully. Keep it covered under a damp towel as you remove each sheet. The first layer of fillo requires four sheets. Take sheet number one and place it in the springform pan with half the sheet hanging over the side. Take sheet number two and place it opposite the first one in the same way. Place sheets number three and four on opposite sides of the pan. Repeat this process two more times so you will have built up a firm base. Pour a little of the egg mixture on the bottom and swish it around until the bottom has been moistened. Use the pastry brush or your hands to move it around if you need to. Take another four sheets of fillo and arrange them like you did the first time. Brush with egg mixture. Do this one more time and brush with egg mixture. Place last four sheets of fillo on top and leave it dry. Spoon in half the meat mixture and pat it down smoothly. Now- take each end of fillo and go around pulling it over and toward the middle. Brush each layer with egg mixture. When the top has been completely enclosed, brush it all over again with egg mixture.
5. Repeat this whole process with second pie and either freeze it in pan-  bake it and serve it- or cool it completely and freeze it.
6. Place pie in oven and bake 40-45 minutes or until puffed and golden brown.  You will have to let the pie cool a little before you push it through the ring of the pan and slide it off the bottom and on to a serving platter. It sinks quickly so don’t worry if it’s flat when you present it. The pie will still be beautiful. It is delicious hot or at room temperature.

Tomato Tuesday: Fried Green Tomatoes with Caper Mayo (recipe, pareve)

Fried Green Tomatoes P Serves: 6

What a delicious treat! Have them with fish cakes, with bread and cheese, with roasted chicken, with a rice salad… The flavors can’t be beat.
Prep time: 20 min.  Cooking time: 15 min.
Ingredients
2 large firm green tomatoes
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon chili powder
2 eggs
2 cups Panko
1 cup vegetable oil
Equipment
Three shallow bowls
Medium skillet
Directions

1. Wash and core tomatoes. Cut them into 1/3 inch slices.
2. Mix flour with salt and chili powder in one bowl.
3. Beat eggs in another bowl.
4. Pour Panko into the third bowl.
5. Dredge tomato slices, first in flour, then in egg and then in Panko.  Chill for 30 minutes if you have the time or fry them right away.
6. Heat ½ cup oil in skillet over medium-high heat.  Add three or four tomato slices at a time-making certain that they have space between them. Fry about three minutes on each side or until they have browned. Remove leftover crumbs with slotted spoon before you add more oil, if needed, and tomatoes. Drain tomatoes on paper towels. Serve hot/warm with Caper Mayonnaise.

Caper Mayonnaise P Yield: ½ cup

This is an easy and delicious sauce to serve with Fried Green Tomatoes, fish or cold chicken.
Prep time: 5 min.
Ingredients
½ cup bottled mayonnaise
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
¼ cup capers (drained)
10 basil leaves (optional)
Equipment
Small mixing bowl
Directions

1. Mix mayo together with mustard and capers.  Chop basil and stir in. Serve with Fried Green Tomatoes, fish or cold chicken.

Strawberry-Blueberry Tart (recipe, pareve) -The Perfect Desert for the 4th of July!

Strawberry-Blueberry Tart P Serves: 10

The play on cooked and raw, tart and sweet is irresistible.
Prep time: 20 minutes + 60 minutes chilling time
INGREDIENTS                   
Pre-baked 11 inch pareve crust               
4 pints fresh blueberries (enough for 5 ½ cups berries with some left over)
2/3 cup sugar
½ teaspoon cinnamon                   
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/3 cup water
2 large lemons
EQUIPMENT
Medium saucepan with cover
Grater
Small mixing bowl
Juicer
DIRECTIONS

1. Grate one lemon on the small holed side of the grater directly into small mixing bowl. Set aside. Shred the other lemon on the shredder side of the grater and wrap in waxed paper. Squeeze juice from both lemons. Pour out four tablespoons juice. Set aside.
2. Add sugar, cinnamon, and cornstarch to grated lemon peel. Set aside.
3. Rinse blueberries. Remove all stems and bruised berries. Put 3 full cups berries and water in saucepan. Cover and bring to a boil. Remove cover and stir in lemon juice and sugar mixture. Return mixture to a boil, and stir until thickened. Remove saucepan from heat. Cool slightly, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until completely chilled- about one hour.
4. Gently dry remaining blueberries. Remove chilled blueberry mixture from the refrigerator. Fold in 1 ½ cups raw berries. Spoon combined blueberry filling into cooked pie crust. Smooth over the top gently.
5. Wipe off strawberries and slice off their stems. Arrange strawberries around the circumference of the tart. Scatter 1 cup blueberries over the center. Sprinkle the blueberries with shredded lemon peel. Serve tart chilled or at room temperature.

Note: Serve with a scoop of Vanilla Bean Ice Cream if you are having a dairy meal!