Sfakianopita - A Cheese Stuffed Bread from Greece

I ended up trying a few Greek recipes recently owing to my 'Greek recipes' themed marathon this week and among them were a few bread recipes from the region. A stuffed bread named sfakianopita was one of those. These bread are stuffed with the local variety cheeses and in lieu of those, feta cheese would be a great substitution here. These sfakianopita proved to be a quick and easy deal as I am adept at making the Indian stuffed breads aka parathas. The toasted, cheese stuffed breads are served with chopped nuts, a dusting of cinnamon and a drizzle of honey, which makes it a treat.

Recipe source: Here
Ingredients:
1 & 1/3 cup flour + extra for dusting (I used wheat flour.)
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. lemon juice
2 tbsp. olive oil + extra for toasting
 1/2 cup water
3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/2 cup chopped nuts
Ground cinnamon
Honey

Method:
* Combine flour, salt, lemon juice and olive oil in a bowl and mix. Next add water in increments and knead it into a soft, pliable dough. If the dough is sticky, add some extra flour and knead. If it appears too dry, add extra water.  
* Knead the dough for about five minutes and divide the dough into 6 or 8 portions. Roll the portions into balls. Work with one portion at a time and keep the rest of them covered.
* Roll the ball into a round shape of about 1/4 inch thickness and 6 inches wide. Place a tbsp. or more of cheese at the center and then fold side over. Knead the cheese and the dough together until the cheese is well mixed in. Again roll it back to the round shape as earlier.
* Toast the rolled out sfakianopita on a heated pan pouring a tsp of olive oil around the edges and spreading it over. Cook it until both sides turn golden brown, flipping in between.
* Repeat the steps and cook the remaining sfakianopita
* Sprinkle chopped nuts and cinnamon as needed over sfakianopitas before serving and drizzle with honey.
 
This goes to Blogging marathon #76, under the theme 'Greek Recipes'. Check out the page to read what other marathoners are cooking. 

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Cheddar Cheese PopCorn

For the last 'Cheese' post this week, I wanted to showcase something that my kids really enjoy, the cheddar cheese popcorn. This is a simple and quick dish to put together and can be a great homemade gift to give others during holiday season. My daughter crazily loves cheese and eats in some form or other everyday for at least one of her meals. One of those happily devoured forms is this yummy, cheddar cheese coated popcorn. I indulge her though I cannot understand her addiction. :)

If you don't have the cheese powder, then the processed cheese powder that comes in the macaroni & cheese box can be substituted. I keep our popcorn just cheesy but chili powder / mustard powder / or any other flavors can be added as well in the recipe. Mix them with the cheese powder and proceed as directed.

 Ingredients:
About 6 cups / 1.5 quarts Popped corn
5 - 6 tbsp. Cheddar cheese powder 
3 to 4 tbsp. Melted butter

Method:
* Preheat the oven to 120 deg C / 250 deg F.
* Pop the corn kernels in whichever method you choose to pop - on the stove top, microwave or the popcorn maker. 
To microwave, put about a handful of corn kernels in a brown bag, fold the bag twice at the top edges and put it in the microwave. Pop them for about a minute, shake the bag once vigorously and microwave again for another half a minute or so. It took about 90 to 95 seconds for me but the time varies depending upon the strength of a microwave. Remove the bag once you stop hearing the popping noise or else it may get burnt easily if cooked for longer than the required amount of time. 

* Separate out the corn kernels that were not popped. You may try to pop them once more as some of them do pop the second time.
* Transfer the popcorn to a wide mixing bowl. Pour the butter over it and shake to coat. Then add the cheese mixture and again shake the bowl for the cheese to coat evenly.
* Pour the cheese coated popcorn onto a baking sheet evenly and bake in the pre-heated oven, stirring once in between. Bake for about 8- 10 minutes or until the cheese dries up and the pop corn is crunchy. 
(I prefer baking after the cheese mixture is poured over the popped corn. Baking gives a uniformly crunchy popcorn without burning. The baking part can be skipped and the cheese coated pop corn can be again put in a brown bag and popped for about 25 - 30 seconds. It will turn crisp in a short time compared to baking but gets burnt quickly.)
* Enjoy it immediately or cool the popcorn and store it in an airtight container.

This goes to 
1. Blogging Marathon #49, with the theme "Cheese".
2. 'Kids Delight' event, with the theme 'Cheese'.

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Cauliflower - Cheese Soup

I had so many fancy ideas for this 'Cheese' theme but when it came to execution, I ended up preparing simple everyday dishes that are loved by my kids. My husband and son love soups and so they get frequently made in my kitchen. The one showcased today is loosely based on the broccoli - cheese soup, I make regularly. This creamy, yummy soup was a hit in my home going by the comments I got. I also ended up adding finely minced, cooked carrot at the final stages of cooking.

Ingredients: (2 servings)
1 tbsp. oil / butter
1 onion, finely minced
Cauliflower florets from half a cauliflower head (About 1 & 1/2 cup florets)
2& 1/2 cups vegetable broth / water
3/4 cup grated cheddar cheese (white / yellow)
Salt and ground pepper to taste

Method:
* Heat oil in a sauce pan and add onion. Fry until the onion softens and then add cauliflower florets. Fry them until they start to turn golden or about 6 - 7 minutes.
* Add broth / water and cook until cauliflower is tender.
* Puree the mixture until smooth. Use caution if using a blender to puree the hot soup.
* Add the cheese and heat through until it melts.
* Check the taste and then add salt and pepper. Stir and serve warm.

This goes to 
1. Blogging Marathon #49, with the theme "Cheese".
2. 'Kids Delight' event, with the theme 'Cheese'.

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Paneer Bhurji

Paner bhurji is a side dish prepared with paneer, the rennet-free Indian cheese. This protein rich dish is very quick and simple to prepare and is an apt dish for the morning rush hours. It can be served with breads, buns or rotis to make a wholesome, filling breakfast. One can of course omit or add spices they prefer or use in lesser quantities if serving kids. Using cilantro leaves is optional or it can be replaced by kasuri methi/dried fenugreek leaves to add a different flavor. Homemade or store bought paneer can be used. The following ingredients would be sufficient to fill 4 sandwiches or about 3 rotis. 

Ingredients:
1 tbsp. oil
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 onion, finely chopped
1 small tomato, finely chopped
1/8 tsp. turmeric powder
Salt to taste
1/4 tsp. red chili powder or according to taste
1/8 tsp. cumin powder
1/8 tsp. coriander powder
1/4 tsp. garam masala
1 cup crumbled paneer (I used homemade paneer.)
1 tsp. finely minced cilantro to garnish

Method:
* Heat oil in a saute pan and add cumin seeds. When they start to sizzle and turn brown, add onion. Fry until the onion turns translucent and add tomato pieces. Cook until they turn mushy.
* Add salt, turmeric and all the spice powders to the pan. Stir and cook for few seconds.
* Next add the crumbled paneer, mix and cook for about a minute.
* Turn off the stove. garnish with cilantro and serve warm.

This goes to 
1. Blogging Marathon #49, with the theme "Cheese".
2. 'Kids Delight' event, with the theme 'Cheese'.

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