Bisteeya (Moroccan Chicken and Almond Pie)

At the Maybachufermarkt in Berlin, there used to be a Moroccan lady who sold this delicious phyllo dough pies.  I only ate it once, but I will remember that little pie for the rest of my life.  I immediately started looking on Pinterest and the internet for a recipe.  This is what I came up with after reviewing a number of different ones.

Ingredients

2 lbs. chicken thighs
2 red onions, sliced
2 cloves garlic
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger
1 cinnamon stick
1/2 tsp saffron
1 cup chicken stock
1/4 cup almond slices
powdered sugar
ground cinnamon
50 g melted butter
6 sheet phyllo dough
1 egg, lightly whisked
fresh minced parsley
salt and pepper

Place chicken in a large pot.  Cover with water, add salt and bay leaf, bring to a boil and let simmer for 20 minutes until the chicken is cooked.  Remove chicken from water and let sit until cool and then remove meat from bone.  Add oil in a pan and fry the onions for 5 minutes, then add garlic and ginger and continue to to cook.  Add chicken, saffron, stock and cinnamon stick and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to low and cook uncovered for 20 minutes or until all the liquid evaporates.  Let cool. Brush a shallow round 20cm (base measurement) cake pan with melted butter to grease. Place the filo sheets on a clean work surface. Cover with a dry tea towel, then a damp tea towel (this will prevent the filo from drying out). Brush 1 sheet of filo with a little of the melted butter. Sprinkle one-fifth of the almonds on top. Top with another filo sheet, turning slightly, and brush with a little more butter. Sprinkle one-quarter of the remaining almond mixture on top. Continue this layering process with the remaining filo, butter and almond mixture. Line the prepared pan with the filo stack, allowing edges to overhang. 

Line a baking tray with non-stick baking paper. Add the egg and parsley to the chicken mixture. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon the chicken mixture into the pan lined with filo. Bring the filo edges over the chicken mixture to enclose. Brush with remaining butter. Bake in oven for 15 minutes or until golden. Remove from the oven and turn onto the lined tray. Bake for a further 10 minutes or until golden and heated through.  Sprinkle powdered sugar and cinnamon on top and serve in wedges,.

Tuna Casserole

I was really feeling an itch the other day for Tuna Helper.  Now I'm generally opposed to ready-meals and strange out-of-the-box creations, but Tuna Helper was something my dad would always made.  Luckily, Irma Rombauer had a homemade version in her cooking compendium, The Joy of Cooking.  I modified it a little, adding peas and carrots because I feel that a needed a little more veggies, you could easily add broccoli or any other vegetable for that matter.

Ingredients

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
3/4 cups sliced mushrooms
1/2 cup cooked peas
1/2 cup carrots,diced
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 1/2 cups milk
1 cups shredded Cheddar (I used Gouda as Cheddar is hard to comeby in Germany)
12 ounces (2 cans) of tuna, drained and broken into chunks
2 cups cooked egg noodles (4 ounces uncooked)
1/2 cup minced parsley
salt and black pepper to taste
1/2 cup dried breadcrumbs (I used crispy onions for the topping)
2 tablespoons butter, melted

Preheat the oven to 375F.  Grease a 1 1/2 to 2 quart shallow baking dish.  Melt in a medium saucepan over medium heat the butter.  Add the mushrooms, onion, garlic and carrots.  Cook stirring occasionally until the vegetables are just tender, about 5 minutes.  Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute.  Gradually whisk in the milk.  Bring the sauce to a boil, whisking, then turn the heat down and simmer for 10 minutes.  Remove from the heat and add, whisking until hot the cheese and the tuna.  Add and stir together the egg noodles, minced parsley, cooked peas and then salt and pepper to taste.  Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish.  Mix together and sprinkle the bread crumbs over the top.  Bake for about 25 to 35 minutes or until browned on top.

Kotopita

This is one of my all-time most requested dishes.  Once I made this for somebody, they usually request me to make it again.  The best way to describe it is Greek Pot Pie.  Being Greek, it uses Phyllo dough instead of a traditional pie crust.  I came across this dish originally in a Greek restaurant back in Norfolk, Virginia.  It sounded good in the discription, but once it arrived, it was mediocre.  I decided that I could make it better.  This recipe is what I created after comparing various recipes I researched online.  It does take a bit of time to make, but it it totally worth it.

Ingredients

1 whole chicken
3 cups stock (made from stewing chicken)
1/3 cup butter
1 bunch scallions
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup flour
1 1/2 cups Feta cheese, crumbled
1/4 cup fresh dill, chopped
1/4 cup parsley, chopped
2 tablespoons mint, chopped
1 teaspoon nutmeg
salt and pepper
3 eggs, beaten
12 to 14 sheets Phyllo dough
1/2 cup melted butter

1. Place the chicken, stock or water, salt and pepper into a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer for about 20-30 minutes. Remove chicken to a plate, reserving the broth, and set aside to cool. When the chicken is cool enough to handle, shred it with your fingers.
2. Heat the butter or oil in a large skillet or sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the scallions and garlic and sauté for about 2 minutes. Stir in the flour, reduce heat to low and cook for another 2-3 minutes.
3. Pour the reserved broth into the skillet all at once and whisk to eliminate any lumps. Simmer the broth for about 5 minutes to thicken. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
4. Preheat oven to 350°F. In a large mixing bowl, mix together the feta, dill, parsley, mint, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Add the chicken and the thickened broth and stir together. Adjust seasoning and then stir in the beaten eggs.
5. Grease a 9x9-inch baking dish or a deep-dish pie tin. Lay a layer of filo into the dish and brush it with meltied butter or olive oil. Add 5 or six more sheets of filo, brushing each with oil or butter and laying them at different angle to cover the dish. Press the filo gently down into the corners of the dish or pie tin.
6. Pour the chicken-cheese filling into the dish and spread it out evenly. Lay the remaining layers of filo over the top of the filling, brushing each layer with butter or oil and draping the excess over the edges of the dish. Trim the filo to leave about 1 1/2 inches draping over the edge. Roll the filo edges up toward the center of the dish to form a rolled edge.
7. Place the dish in the oven and bake for anywhere from 45-75 minutes, or until the center is bubbly and the crust is nicely browned.
8. Remove from the oven, cool about 15 minutes and serve with a salad.