Saturday, December 6, 2008

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!! StumbleUpon

24 comments:

Lori Lynn said...

How can you go wrong with feta and ricotta? Your little platter with jam and cream looks lovely as well.

It is so nice to read about the people you recognize and why. Some are new to me, so I look forward to visiting their blogs now, on your recommendation. Neat community, eh?

kat said...

Oh I love that combination of phyllo & cheese, so tasty

Bunny said...

I like the sound of this, I think I'd really like it with the ricotta and some jam.

To answer you question Psychgrad, Carol and I met on a forum over a year ago, we have been very good friends ever since, we're both the same age and LOVE to bake. It was a friendship waiting to happen. I talk to her on the phone once a week and really enjoy having her with me on the blog.

Ivy said...

Giz your tyropita sounds lovely. Ricotta is a good substitute for anthotyro but about jam.. I must say I have my reservations :) You have made a great selection of people passing on the awards.

Peter M said...

That's a good recipe for Tyropitakia...good find!

The jam is a Giz choice (which is fine) but don't be offended if a Greek doesn't lay out some jam with your tyropitakia.

Deeba PAB said...

The tyropita looks scrumptious...feta/ricotta...YES!!! Congrats on the awards; well desrved & well passed on! Good for you!

Hopie said...

Congratulations on the awards! Those Tyropita look delicious. I'm a sucker for almost anything with feta ;-) I'm going to have to head over to Eva's blog.

Gloria Chadwick said...

Wow! Thank you so much for the Inspiration Award. Love the coffee happy face. :) You've made my day and I feel very honored to receive it, but you, Ivy, and Val are the ones that inspire me with all your efforts to help feed the hungry. And speaking of hungry... your tyropita looks really good with the jam. Maybe I'll make some and enjoy it with my coffee.

shambo said...

Giz, every holiday my daughter and I discuss which kind of pita to make. She loves tyropita, and I love spanakopita. I usually make a big pan but the triangles are great for entertaining. Thanks for the reminder. Maybe I'll make some to surpirse my sweet daughter; she's been such a help to me this past year.

Anonymous said...

These will be great around the holidays! Congrats on your awards :)

Darius T. Williams said...

Wow - I'm with Lori - feta and ricotta! Looks great!

-DTW
www.everydaycookin.blogspot.com

Anonymous said...

I ahve never turned down a puff of cheese....these sound so wonderful!

grace said...

so a half-pound of butter and over a half-pound of cheese. i like the way you work. :)

Emily said...

Oh man. I'm all about anything with feta in it. Looks fantastic!

Anonymous said...

Oh how I love tyropita! I haven't made it in forever, in fact I don't think it's even on my blog. I'll need to make it soon. Love it with the ritotta addition. Looks delicious!

Valerie Harrison (bellini) said...

I am not the West Jet flight to TO Giz to share in these favourite treats. I hope there are some left for me:D

Deborah said...

this looks delicious!

Núria said...

Hola Beauties!!!! I'm so sorry being so late! This month I'm really busy and cannot catch the rythm!!!!
Thanks so much for the wonderful award and CONGRATULATIONS on your collection of awards!!!! he, he, you've got a good bunch now :D

Hopefully, I'll be back in the track tomorrow :D

Have fun girls!

Anonymous said...

Hi Giz,

Thank you, we're so glad your enjoying our site and videos! We're actually just making the Diples also known as Greek Honey rolls video now! Check back soon.

Happy Holidays,
Mercina

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