RFCJ RECIPE ARCHIVE
Posted by : Ruth Heiges Borekas Collection (9)- dairy, meat, pareve
In reorganizing files, I came across these recipes from two different cookbooks. Borekas are also known to some as "pastelles," depending on one's origin. They are a genuine Sephardic-Jewish creation, copied by others throughout the Eastern Mediterranean. They make a great hot appetizer or a light lunch. You also can prepare them in advance and freeze, unbaked; pop into the oven when needed. The following is from "Taste of Israel, a Mediterranean feast," by Avi Ganor and Ron Maiber. They include it in the section on "street food." Cheese or Spinach Borekas ------------------------- 8 oz/225 grams filo pastry 2/3 cup/150 grams melted butter 1 egg yolk, beaten with 1 tablespoon water, to glaze sesame seeds, to garnish Cheese Filling ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 1/2 cup/110 grams soft white cheese 1 cup/225 grams finely grated Gruyere 2 tablespoons cream cheese 1 large or 2 small eggs, lightly beaten salt and pepper Spinach Filling ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 1 lb./450 grams fresh spinach 1 egg, lightly beaten 1 cup/225 grams finely grated Gruyere salt and pepper Remove the filo leaves from the refrigerator 2 hours before you need them. To make the cheese filling, simply mash all the ingredients together with a fork or combine them in a food processor. To make the spinach filling, wash the spinach several times, put the wet leaves into a saucepan without any extra water, cover tightly and sweat over a medium h eat for 4 or 5 minutes until tender. Drain in a sieve, pressing out any excess m oisture. Chop f Pre-heat the oven to 350 F/180 C. Taking one leaf of filo at a time, cut it into a strip about 6 inches/15 cm wide by 12 inches/30 cm long and brush with melted butter. Now fold it in half so th at it is the same length but half the width. Brush with butter again. Place a heaped tablespoon of cheese or spinach filling at one end, and fold the end over to make a triangle. Butter the top of the triangle, then fold over agai n. Continue until the entire strip is folded into a triangle, brushing with butt er between each Bake for 25-30 minutes, until golden brown and puffy. Serve warm or cold, but not hot. Borekas can also be made with puff pastry. Just fold the pastry over the fillings and proceed as above. Although baking is the traditional method of cooking borekas, many street vendors deep-fry them. The shape of a boreka usually tells you what the filling is -- triangles for cheese, squares for potatoes, twists for spinach. ------ My comment: You may want to keep a damp towel on the unused pastry until you are ready for it, to keep it from drying out. As for all that brushing with butter and folding and brushing, ad infinitum, I'd do it that way only once. Work out how many layers of dough there are, after all the folding, then simply take that many sheets of filo, butter them and stack them; then cut into the appropriate shape. The next recipes are from "A Book of Middle Eastern Food," by Claudia Roden. She also gives the option of using commercially prepared flaky pastry doughs, whether filo or puff-pastry dough. (Her scratch recipes go on for pages ...) Cheese Filling I 1 lb cheese, grated 2 eggs, beaten White pepper Use Greek Haloumi, Gruyere, Cheddar, Wensleydale, Edam, Gouda or a mixture of any of these with a little Parmesan; try also Italian mozzarela. Mix the grated cheese with beaten eggs and season to taste with pepper. ~~~~~~ Cheese Filling II 1 lb. crumbly white Greek Feta cheese or about equal quantities of Feta and cottage cheese 3-4 Tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley, dill, minto or chives White pepper Crumble the cheese with a fork. Do not use a cream cheese because it melts. Mix in chopped herbs and season to taste with white pepper, but do not add salt unless the cheese requires it. (Feta is very salty, for instance.) Work the ingredients into a paste. ~~~~~~ Meat Filling -- This is called a _tatbila_. 1 medium or large onion, finely chopped 2 tablespoons oil or margarine 1 lb. lean lamb or beef, minced 2 tablespoons pine nuts Salt and black pepper 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon or 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice, optional Gently fry the onion in 2 tablespoons oil or margarine (I prefer to use oil) until soft and a pale golden color. Add the meat and fry lightly until it changes color. Stir in the pine nuts and fry for 2 minutes longer. The pine nuts can also be fried separately and added at the end. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and if liked, cinnamon or allspice (these flavorings are particularly excellent). Some even add a little sugar. Moisten with about 5 tablespoons water. The meat will otherwise be too dry for a filling. Cook for a few minutes more until the water is absorbed and the meat tender. ~~~~~~ Spinach Filling I 1 lb. fresh spinach or 1/2 lb. frozen chopped or leaf spinach 1 tablespoon butter 1/4 lb. Gruyere, Gouda or Wensleydale cheese, grated 1 egg Black pepper 1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg, optional Trim stems of fresh spinach; wash carefully and chop the leaves finely. Put in a pan with a tablespoon of butter. Cover and let it cook in its own juice over very low heat, stirring occasionally, until tender. If using frozen spinach, defrost it and make sure water drains away entirely. Cook with the butter. Stir in the grated cheese, the lightly beaten egg, and black pepper to taste. Do not add salt unless necessary. Take into account the saltiness of the cheese melting into the spinach. Add a little nutmeg if you like, and mix well. ~~~~~~ Spinach Filling II 1 lb. fresh spinach or 1/2 lb. frozen chopped or leaf spinach 1 onion, finely chopped Oil 2 tablesp;oons pine nuts or chopped walnuts 1-2 tablespoons raisins Salt and black pepper Trim stems of fresh spinach. Wash, drain and chop finely. If using frozen spinach, defrost it and make sure water drains away entirely. Fry the onion gently in 2 tablespoons oil until soft. Add the spinach and stew it in its own juice until tender. Lightly fry the pine nuts or chopped walnuts separately in oil for a few minutes. Drain, and add to the spinach with the raisins. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and mix well. ~~~~~~ Khandrajo (aubergine/eggplant) Filling This is a Sephardic Jewish filling similar to the French _ratatouille_. 1 lb. unpeeled aubergines, cut into small cubes Salt Oil 1 large onion, finely chopped 3 tomatoes, skinned and chopped Black pepper Sprinkle cubed aubergines with salt and leave them in a colander for about 1/2 hour to allow the bitter juices to drain away. Squeeze lightly, rinse well and drain. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a saucepan and fry the chopped onion to a dark golden color. Add the aubergines and fry lightly until tender and a little colored. Add the tomatoes and season generously with pepper. Add salt only if required, taking into account the aubergines, which are salty already. Simmer gently, covered, until the vegetables are very soft, then squash them lightly with a fork. ~~~~~~ Chicken Filling 1 lb. cooked boned chicken 2 tablespoons margarine 2 tablespoons flour 1/2 pint hot chicken stock Salt, white pepper and grated nutmeg 1 egg Use leftover chicken, if you like, and cut it into small pieces. Make a thick sauce. melt the margarine in a thick saucepan or preferably in the top of a double saucepan. Add flour and stir constantly, until the flour is cooked through. Gradually add 1/4 pint hot stock, beating well between each addition, and cook until the sauce thickens. Add the rest of the stock slowly, stirring vigorously until it begins to bubble and thicken again. Season to taste with salt, pepper and nutmeg, and simmer gently for 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from the heat, break in an egg and beat well. Add the pieces of chicken and mix well.
