Elftown Herald Cooking

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Phyllo Dough
by [ irulan ]

Have you ever had baklava or spanakopita? Then chances are you've had phyllo dough (also known as filo or phylo dough). It is unique, paper-thin dough that is used extensively in Greek cooking. In fact, in the Greek ‘phyllo' means ‘leaf'. It contains little to no fat and tastes wonderful. The dough can be used to create a variety of recipes, anything from sweet to savory. However, most people are afraid to experiment with it.  If not properly handled phyllo dough can tear, break, or turn into a soggy mess. Once you know what you should be doing though, it's very simple. Here are tips to manage this tricky dough. 

1. Buying & thawing phyllo dough
If you really want to try to make phyllo dough, you can. However, I recommend purchasing it from your local supermarket. It is located in the frozen foods department, usually by the frozen pie crusts. You want to try to purchase the freshest dough possible, but unfortunately there is no way of knowing how long it has been sitting in your grocer's freezer. This box will include 20 sheets, each measuring 14x18 inches that have been rolled together and placed in a bag. I always buy an extra box in case I mess up. The dough should be thawed at least 24 hours ahead of time in the refrigerator. Do not open the box and do not thaw at room temperature. Also, keep the box in case you have leftovers. It can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks and refrozen for 2-4 months.
2. Prepare, prepare, prepare
Remove the thawed dough from the fridge, but before opening it, get everything else ready. Assemble necessary items such as waxed paper, a damp dish towel, pastry brush, pizza cutter or kitchen shears (for trimming any excess dough), melted butter, baking sheet, and ingredients/fi lling. Filling ingredients should be completely prepared (i.e. chop the nuts, grate the cheese). Cooked fillings should be made in advance and cooled. Fillings should also be relatively dry so that your dough doesn't end up soggy. Now you're ready for the fun part!
3. Butter that dough
Everything should be prepared so at this point you can carefully unroll the thawed dough on a sheet of waxed paper. Place another sheet of waxed paper over the stack; lay a damp towel on top of this to aid in keeping the dough moist as you work with individual sheets. Dried out dough will just be messy and practically unworkable. Since phyllo dough has little to no fat, it is necessary to use melted butter (shortening or olive oil will also work) on each and every sheet to make the dough crisp and scrumptious. Do NOT brush water on the dough. Very carefully take off the top sheet of dough (replacing the wax paper and damp towel) and place it in your baking dish or on your work surface. Be sure to grease your baking dish. Apply melted butter lightly using your pastry brush; start with the edges before they get brittle, move to the middle, and then back out towards the edges. Use just enough to coat the entire sheet not saturate it. Follow your recipe; some ingredients may need to be used between layers. Continue to repeat this process with every sheet of dough it takes to complete the recipe, working as quickly as you can. If the dough happens to rip don't worry, just patch it with a little dough and extra butter. It is also a wise idea to put the baking dish with the dough on top of another pan with a lip to catch any melted butter that may run off. 

You can create simple or exquisite dishes using phyllo dough. After reading through these tips you should be ready to go make some lovely pastries or quiches. Be sure to save me some!

Spinach Phyllo Pie
2 pounds fresh spinach
1 large onion
5 egg whites
8 ounces cheddar cheese, grated
8 ounces mozzarella cheese, grated
1 teaspoon pepper
1 box phyllo dough
Fresh mushrooms (optional)

Preheat your oven to 400-425º

Remove stems from spinach, wash and drain. Cut onions and sauté in water until tender. Wash and slice mushrooms and add to the onions (cook until all water evaporates), remove onions & mushrooms from heat and put in a large bowl. Sauté spinach in water tossing frequently until all liquid evaporates. Mix onions/mushroo ms & spinach together in bowl & make sure onions and mushrooms are evenly distributed throughout the spinach. Beat egg whites lightly, add grated cheese to egg mixture, and mix thoroughly. Add spinach mixture to egg and cheese mixture and stir until well mixed.

Quickly layer 5-7 sheets on the bottom of the dish brushing each layer lightly with melted butter. Then put on half of your spinach mixture. Put another 5-7 sheets of phyllo, then the last of your spinach mixture. Top with 10 to 15 sheets of phyllo, lightly brushing butter between each layer. Trim any excess dough around the edge, and then moisten your fingertips and seal around the edges like a normal pie crust. Brush top with butter. Use a sharp knife to cut through the entire top layer in the pattern you will cut after baking. Bake for 30 minutes.

Cooking on a Budget - Macaroni and Cheese
by - [ pixie_shimmer ]

I know that a lot of people have to live on a budget. This means that you can't always have a lot of variety when you are watching the pennies, due to the high prices of some foods. However, here is a recipe for a meal or side dish that is both cheap and easy!
Using the generic brands is even better, and you won't notice the difference. Remember that just because it is a generic brand does not mean the quality is lower. Many of these brands cut their costs by having simple packaging and are therefore able to offer their products to us on a reduced price!

Ingredients:
2 cups Macaroni
1 - 1 1/2 cups of shredded cheese
1 - 2 tablespoons of chicken stock

note: The measurements are a little vague. This is because you will probably change the quantities to suit your individual taste. This also works well with sliced bacon in it.

METHOD:

1 - Boil the Macaroni until cooked. Drain it and put it back into the saucepan/jug.
2 - Add the chicken stock and cheese and mix well.
3 - You can either cover the saucepan or jug and wait for the cheese to melt itself or put it in the microwave.
4 - Serve