Tyropita - Greek Cheese Puffs avec Awards

I met Mercina on FoodBuzz where she featured Eva's Tasty Tyropita. Mercina has a beautiful blog called Thursday for Dinner and I have this feeling that I'll be checking back often for more of Eva's recipes. She videos the process and makes it look so simple. This recipe looked amazing and fun to make - my assumption was correct. These cheese puffs are super yummy and of course Eva is such a sweetie. She reminds me of my own mother who even shares her name.

As Mercina explains, Tyropita are delicious Greek pastries made with feta or ricotta cheese (or a combination of both) wrapped in layers of buttered phyllo. Tyropita are great as a snack or as a side dish for lunch or dinner, although in Greece they are usually eaten as a breakfast food. What I love about tyropita is that you can make a large batch and then freeze them. Take some out of the freezer about 40 minutes before dinner, pop them in the oven, and you’ll have a wonderful side dish for the family meal.


Ingredients:

Half a pound of feta cheese (about 2 cups)
500 grams of ricotta cheese
Half a pound of butter (or you can use margarine)
5 eggs
A quarter tsp of black pepper
Parsley (optional) (I didn't use it)
Preheat your oven to 325 degrees.

In a large bowl, mix the feta, ricotta, eggs, and black pepper with your hands.

Remove the phyllo from the package, carefully unwrap it, and lay it flat on your counter. Place a slightly damp cloth over the phyllo to prevent it from drying out.

Place your butter in a small bowl and it microwave until softened. Get out a brush and butter a large pan.

Cut the phyllo into 3 or 4 long strips. Take out one pile of strips and cover the rest of the phyllo with your cloth.

Note: I found that if I made the strips too wide, the tyropita started to get sloppy. Besides, you can eat more when they're small.

Take one strip of phyllo and lightly butter it. Add another layer of phyllo and butter that too. Now drop a spoonful of the cheese mixture at the bottom of the long strip. Fold the phyllo in triangles.

Once you have finished folding each piece, butter it and place it on the pan.

Repeat until you have finished with the cheese mixture and the phyllo.

Once you are finished place the pan in the oven for about an hour (at 325 degrees)

And viola! You have delicious tyropita for you and your family.

If that was in the least bit confusing, take the time to watch Eva's video. It'll inspire you to make them. It sure did me. Here's Eva's Tasty Tyropita


And now..... AWARD TIME



Ivy from Kopiaste generously gave us the Kreativ Blogger award. Thank you Ivy.



Now I'm really wondering how really creative she thinks we are after how we served the tyropita. Mind you, it is eaten for breakfast in Greece - why not with sour cream or jam? It was delicious with either one.

We'd like to share this award with:

1. Kellypea of Sass and Veracity. Not only are her recipes creative but her writing always leaves me howling. Although we've never met, my sense is she talks exactly the way she writes. She's a keeper.

2. Lisa from Jersey Girl Cooks Who knew I'd find out about Pillsbury products from a fellow blogger.

3. Bobby of Blog Chef . Until just recently Bobby was a mystery to me. Now that I've found his blog - well, what can I say - go look for yourself. I tried one of his recipes today and will be blogging about it very soon - simply delicious and entirely painless.

4. Anamika from Sugar Craft by Soni. Another blog that I've only recently discovered but by just having a peek, you'll see immediately why she deserves this award.

5. Caroline from A Consuming Passion I've been a bit of a lurker on her blog for a while and when I saw this month's Daring Baker's challenge, she won my vote for a Kreativ Blogger award.

Thank you to Bunny from Bunny's Warm Kitchenfor awarding us Inspiration award:



1. Gloria of Cookbook Cuisine who's sense of sprituality and selflessness is a true inspiration.

2. Anne from Rainforest Recipes . Anne is a fellow Canadian who packed up everything to live in Guatemala and dedicate her life to social development ...and cooking of course.

3. Nuria of Spanish Recipes for being one of the nicest bloggers on the planet. Ever exhuberant, always cheerful and has an uplifting comment for everyone.

4. Joan of Foodalogue who's been involved in so many things and continues to reach out to new adventures and does it all with style.

5. Cynthia of Tastes Like Home who so willingly shares information and guidance. Cynthia has just finished writing her cookbook. Please visit her website for details on how you can be comfortable in the kitchen with Caribbean cooking.

Hope everyone is having a stellar weekend. We in Canada (at least eastern Canada) are now enjoying (NOT) old man winter's kiss. It's f.f.f.f.f.freezing!!