Pine Nut And Feta Cheese Ball Recipes

PINE NUT & FETA CHEESE BALL RECIPE - (4.2/5)

Steps:

• Process cream cheese, feta, and butter in a food processor until smooth. Pulse in capers, oregano, fennel seeds, and lemon zest. Season with salt. Scrape into a small plastic wrap-lined bowl. Gather up plastic around cheese, shaping into a ball. Chill until firm, 3 to 12 hours. Unwrap cheese ball and roll in pine nuts just before serving. Serve with crackers.

HOMEMADE HERBED PASTA WITH FETA, LEMON AND PINE NUTS

Steps:

• For the pasta: Sift the flours into a pile on a clean work surface. Create a 6-inch well in the middle. Add the parsley, olive oil, eggs and yolks, 1 teaspoon salt and 2 teaspoons pepper to the well. Whisk gently with a fork. When the center is combined, begin to incorporate the flours into the eggs a little at a time. Once you can no longer use your fork, use your hands to knead the dough. When the dough is shaggy, knead the dough until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. Divide the dough into 2. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit for 30 minutes.
• Roll out the dough, using semolina flour as needed. The pasta should be about 2 centimeters thick. Fold the pasta in half lengthwise, then in half again. Slice into 3/4-inch wide ribbons, or desired width. Shake out the noodles and hold in nests.
• Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it ferociously. Cook the pasta to al dente, about 3 minutes. Drain the pasta, reserving 2 cups pasta water.
• For the feta, lemon and pine nut sauce: Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat until a drop of water sizzles when flicked across the surface. Add the pine nuts and garlic and cook, stirring, until lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Add the preserved lemon and 1 cup mint and cook, stirring, for another 1 to 2 minutes. Add 1 cup of the reserved pasta water. Allow it to cook down and reduce for another minute. Add the cooked pasta to the skillet, reduce the heat to low and toss the pasta to coat it evenly in the mixture. Add more pasta water if it needs a bit more sauce. Add about 20 turns of black pepper and top with the feta, a few pinches of crushed red pepper and the remaining 1 cup mint. Serve immediately and enjoy.

SPINACH, FETA, AND PINE NUT RAVIOLI FILLING

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the spinach until fully wilted, about 2 minutes. Let cool, then squeeze the spinach to remove as much liquid as you can.
• Combine the cooked spinach, feta, and pine nuts in a blender or food processor and pulse until it is the consistency of a fine paste. Beat the egg and water together in a small bowl.
• To assemble the ravioli, brush the egg over a sheet of pasta. Drop the filling mixture on the dough by teaspoonfuls about one inch apart. Cover the filling with the top sheet of pasta, pressing out the air from around each portion of filling. Press firmly around the filling in whatever shape you wish (circles, squares) and then cut them apart. Press the tines of a fork around the edges of the pasta to seal each raviolo.
• Fill a large pot with lightly salted water and bring to a rolling boil over high heat. Once the water is boiling, add the ravioli, stir gently, and return to a boil. Cook uncovered until the ravioli float to the top and the filling is hot, about 3 to 5 minutes.

SPINACH, PINE NUT, AND FETA PIE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400F/200°C Pick a large ovenproof frying pan; this will be the only pan you need.
• Toast the pine nuts in the dry pan over medium heat, stirring occasionally so they won't scorch.
• Lightly beat the eggs in a large bowl, add the toasted pine nuts, the cheeses, a pinch of fresh black or white pepper, the lemon zest, a couple of good pinches of oregano, about 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg, and a tablespoon of olive oil. Mix well and set aside.
• Put the empty pan back on high heat, add a little olive oil and the butter and half the spinach. Stir it until it starts wilting, and add the rest of the raw leaves as you can. Partially cover it and turn the heat to low, stirring occasionally until it is all wilted and well cooked, about 5-10 minutes. Set it aside to cool a bit. Add it to the egg mixture and stir well.
• Cut a generous piece of parchment about 1 1/2 times the width of the pan you're using. Wet it, ball it up, and lay it out flat on your work surface. Arrange several (4 or so, depending upon size) phyllo sheets on top of it to almost cover the paper, overlapping the edges. Remember, it's rustic, so messy will work as well as meticulous. Drizzle and rub (or brush) a little olive oil over the surface of the sheets. Sprinkle with a very small amount of salt, pepper, and (optional) cayenne pepper. Repeat until you have at least 3 layers, using up all the phyllo.
• Carefully lift the phyllo and parchment and place it all in the frying pan (don't bother to wash the pan first) with the edges hanging over the rim of the pan. Pour in the egg filling and spread it out. Fold the phyllo sheets over the top of the filling. You can see how it's done at www.jamieoliver.com/how-to-filo-pie.
• Put the pan back on the stove burner on medium heat for 5 or so minutes to brown the bottom, then put it into the oven and bake it for 20 minutes until golden and crisp. Serve hot or warm.