Sarah makes tiropitas (little cheese pies) and spanakopita (cheese and spinach pies). These are Greek foods and I've discovered there are as many variations as there are stars in the sky. I think I will be experimenting with fillings for a while.
The constants:Fillo (Phyllo) leaves
Feta cheese
Eggs
Butter
The variables:
Ricotta cheese
Cream cheese
Herbs
Other ingredients (mushrooms, parmeasan)
I used 8 oz Feta, 8 oz Ricotta, 4 oz cream cheese, 3 eggs, parsley, chervil, 1/2 lb butter, and one sleve of Fillo leaves. Sarah does not use cream cheese, but uses more Feta.
Melt two sticks of butter. Set it aside.
Mix Feta, other cheeses, herbs, and eggs (2-4). Set it aside.
Butter pans. Set aside.
Cut the Fillo leaves into strips. For meal size, cut into two strips. To make appetizer size, cut into three strips. Cover the fillo strips with a damp towel.
Remove a strip of fillo, brush it with butter. Put another strip on top, brush with butter. Put on another and brush with butter.
Optional: you can work with 2 or 3 or even 4 layers of fillo. You can brush between each strip or put two or three strips down and brush only the top strip. How much flakey, buttery wrapping do you want?
Put a dab of cheese filling on the end of one strip and begin folding "flag style."Keep folding until you have a triangle. Use butter to help the last layers of fillo stay folded up. Brush the top and bottom of the tiropita with butter and place in a buttered pan.
Make sure you have brushed the tops of all the tiropitas. Place them in the pan with a little space around each one. Bake at 350 degrees until burowned.
Let cool! Even when the outside has cooled a bit, the cheese inside will be hot!
Burritopitas? I mixed some ground beef, shredded cheese, taco seasoning, rotel (tomatoes and chiles). I rolled uncut leaves up burrito style, sealing and coating with butter. Next time I will add some refried beans to the mixture.
