Potato Feta Bourekas Recipes

POTATO-FETA BOUREKAS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees, with a rack in center. Place potato on rack; bake until tender when pierced with a knife, about 1 hour. When cool enough to handle, remove potato skin and mash until smooth. Combine 1 cup mashed potato with feta and chives. Season with salt and pepper. Whisk 1 egg; stir into mixture.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll pastry into a rectangle; cut into six 4-inch squares. Place 1 heaping tablespoon of filling in corner of each square, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Whisk remaining egg with 1 teaspoon water. Brush borders with egg wash; fold dough over filling and press edges to seal, forming triangles. Crimp edges with a floured fork. With the tip of a sharp knife, cut vents in each pastry. Arrange turnovers on a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze until firm, 20 minutes (or, wrapped in plastic, up to 2 days).
• Brush turnovers with egg wash; sprinkle with seeds. Bake, rotating sheet halfway through, until deep golden brown and puffed, 25 to 27 minutes. Transfer using parchment to a wire rack; let cool completely.

ISRAELI POTATO BOUREKAS (PAREVE)

Steps:

• Place the potatoes in a saucepan or stockpot with enough cold water to cover by 1 inch. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
• Cook uncovered until the potatoes are tender and easily pierced with a fork, 20 to 25 minutes.
• Drain the potatoes and place in a large bowl. Pass through a potato ricer or mash with a potato masher or wire whisk. Set aside to cool.
• If adding the onion and garlic, warm the oil (or melt the margarine or butter) in a large skillet set over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic and sauté until soft and translucent, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir the mixture into the potatoes.
• If you're not using the onions and garlic, simply add the olive oil, margarine, or butter to the potatoes.
• Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• In a small bowl, beat one of the eggs . While stirring the cool potato mixture, slowly add the beaten egg. Mix well until the egg is totally integrated into the mashed potatoes.
• Heat the oven to 375 F / 190 C. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper . Fill a small bowl with water. If using puff pastry sheets, cut them into 5-inch squares.
• Place a heaping tablespoon of filling in the center of each square. Dip your fingers in the water and dampen the edges of the squares, then fold in half diagonally or vertically to form triangular or rectangular pastries. Pinch the edges together to seal the filling inside.
• Beat the second egg and brush it over the tops of the bourekas. Sprinkle sesame seeds on top. Place the pastries on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes or until the bourekas are puffed and golden.
• Serve warm and enjoy.

POTATO BOREK

Steps:

• Fill a medium saucepan with cold water and add the potatoes in.
• Put the pan on medium heat, bring to a boil and gently simmer the potatoes on low heat for 30 minutes or until soft in the middle.
• Cool the potatoes down under running cold water and peel.
• Grate the potatoes and set them aside.
• In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs and then add the milk along with the melted butter.
• Add the mixture into the bowl with the grated potatoes.
• Add chopped parsley, feta and kasar cheese, salt, freshly ground pepper and chilli (if using) to the bowl and give it a good stir.
• Preheat the oven to 180 C°.
• Lay a sheet of yufka on a work surface and spoon ⅓ of the potato filling onto it. Spread the mixture evenly with the back of a spoon, taking care not to tear the yufka.
• Place the second yufka sheet on top and cover it with another ⅓ of the filling.
• Trim the sides of the yufka into a square and place the trimmings on top of the filling.
• Repeat the same with the last yufka and the potato filling.
• Roll the yufka sheet carefully into a neat cylinder.
• Cut the cylinder into two equal pieces.
• Wrap them with cling film and then place them into the freezer for about an hour or until semi-frozen.
• Wrap the cylinder with cling film and place it into the freezer for about an hour or until slightly frozen and easy to handle.
• Cut the cylinder crosswise into slices two fingers thick using a sharp knife, and arrange them on a greaseproof paper-lined baking tray(s).
• Eggwash the slices and sprinkle on some sesame seeds or nigella seeds.
• Cook them in preheated oven for about 30 minutes or until golden and crispy.

CHEESE BOUREKAS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a baking sheet.
• Beat 1 egg in a medium bowl, and mix in the cheese. Season with parsley, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper.
• On a lightly floured surface, cut each sheet of puff pastry into 6 equal squares to give 12 squares in total. Beat the remaining egg with water in small bowl. Brush edges of each square lightly with egg wash. Place a heaping tablespoon of the cheese mixture in the center of each square. Fold pastry over the filling, and seal edges with a fork. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet, brush with remaining egg wash and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
• Bake in the preheated oven 30 minutes, or until golden brown. Serve immediately.

FETA ROASTED POTATOES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Combine olive oil, balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, Greek seasoning, salt, pepper, garlic powder, oregano, and thyme in a large plastic bag or bowl. Add potatoes and shake until potatoes are coated.
• Place into a baking dish that's large enough to accommodate potatoes in a single, snug layer.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 40 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes. Top with feta cheese. Return to the oven and bake for another 5 minutes. Serve.

SPINACH AND FETA BOUREKAS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add spinach, shallots, and garlic; cook and stir until wilted, 2-3 minutes. Remove from the heat; strain off any excess water. Stir in salt and pepper, set aside to cool to room temperature., On a lightly floured surface, unfold puff pastry. Cut each sheet into 4 squares. In a small bowl, combine feta and ricotta; stir in spinach mixture. Spoon cheese mixture diagonally over half of each square to within 1/2 in. of edges. Brush pastry edges with egg. Fold one corner over filling to the opposite corner, forming a triangle; press edges with a fork to seal. Place on parchment-lined baking sheets. Brush remaining egg over pastries; sprinkle with seasoning blend. Bake until golden brown, 25-30 minutes.

BUREKAS WITH SPINACH OR EGGPLANT FILLING

Steps:

• If using the eggplant-tomato filling, heat the oven to 425 degrees. Pierce the eggplant several times with a knife and roast on a parchment- or foil-lined baking sheet until the eggplant collapses and is completely soft, 35 to 40 minutes. When cool enough to handle, remove and discard the skin; transfer the flesh to a strainer to drain and set aside.
• Make the dough: In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade attachment, add the flour and salt and pulse briefly to combine. Add the butter and pulse just until the butter pieces are the size of peas. Slowly add the ice water and process just until combined. Form the dough into 2 disks about 1 inch thick, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, heat the oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• If using the spinach-feta filling: In a medium bowl, combine the spinach, feta and Parmesan. Season to taste with salt and pepper, then add egg and flour.
• If using the eggplant-tomato filling: In a medium-sized frying pan over medium heat, heat the olive oil. Add the onions, season with salt, and cook until beginning to soften but not brown, about 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes and eggplant, breaking them up with a wooden spoon, and cook until the mixture begins to thicken and loses some of its moisture, about 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper and remove from the heat. When the mixture has cooled, stir in the Parmesan, egg and flour.
• Working with one disk of dough at a time, on a lightly floured surface and using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll out the dough into a circle about 1/8-inch thick or slightly thinner. Using a 3 1/2-inch/9-centimeter circle cutter, cut as many circles as you can from the dough.
• Hold a circle in your hand and fill with 1 tablespoon of filling. Fold up the sides into a half-moon shape and pinch the edges closed to seal, crimping them if you like. Place the sealed bureka on the prepared baking sheet and repeat with the remaining dough.
• Brush the tops lightly with the egg wash and sprinkle with a large pinch of grated Parmesan. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until the crusts are golden brown.