Greece – Levia Wegner ../../../index.html Baking & Happiness Wed, 07 Feb 2024 18:58:36 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.8.2 ../../../wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Levia-L2-150x150.png Greece – Levia Wegner ../../../index.html 32 32 Spanakopita ../../../spanakopita/index.html Thu, 26 Aug 2021 18:57:59 +0000 https://www.leviawegner.com/?p=902 The Spanakopita recipe is believed to have been born in Greece over 400 years ago. It is similar to the Turkish dish ispanakli. It is a typical dish all across Greece. This savoury delight consists of a filo pastry filled with spinach and different soft cheeses. This recipe uses curd and a feta topping. It is also made with creamed Spinach to give it more moisture. Most chefs will personalise the recipe by adding their own flare. Be it herbs or cheeses, the smallest of changes in ingredients can have a huge impact on the final result. However, some people do not like spinach and, making a huge pie can be a bit much. This recipe is meant to be made in a 3 by 4 standard muffin tray. That way, you have 12 little pies.

Recipe

Ingredients

  • Filo dough
  • 250g Frozen Creamed Spinach
  • 300g Curd
  • 200g Feta Cheese
  • 50ml Olive Oil
  • Salt | Pepper

Instructions

  1. Defrost the cream spinach.
  2. Put the olive oil in a large pan and cook the creamed spinach for 5-7 minutes or until it is hot.
  3. Mix the spinach with the curd and season with salt and pepper.
  4. Preheat the oven to 210ºC.
  5. Next, lay out the dough and cut out circles using either a sharp knife or scrissors.
  6. Put the dough in the holes of a muffin tray.
  7. Fill the dough with the spinach-curd mixture.
  8. Cut thin slices of feta cheese and place them on top of the pies.
  9. Bake the pies for 12-15 minutes.
  10. Enjoy!

Variations

You can always add more seasoning to the filling. You can also add diced onions or red bell peppers. If there is a specific type of cheese you prefer to feta or want to add, feel free to.

 

]]> Fig and Bacon cake ../../../fig-and-bacon-cake/index.html Tue, 10 Aug 2021 19:09:57 +0000 https://www.leviawegner.com/?p=869 A friend brought over fresh figs, just as if she had picked it from a tree on the mountainside facing the Mediterranean sea in Greece. I didn’t have to think long about what to do with them, because this recipe had been sitting in the back of my mind for a while. The crispy salty bacon and the texture of the figs form the perfect harmony. One can only imagine how this treat was enjoyed by the philosophers of old. Add a spoonful of greek yoghurt to serve and enjoy!

Figs are commonly known to be of greek origin, however, figs first originated in Asia and only spread through Europe with the Greeks and Romans. Fig trees can live up to 100 years and grow up to fifty feet, although most only grow 10 to 30 feet. Bacon, on the other hand, was used during the 16th century by the English to refer to all pork. The salted pork however, appeared much earlier in China. Both these star ingredients in the following recipe have an old and elaborate history. This recipe is called a cake, not because it is sweet, but because the texture and the batter are that of a cake. It results in an extremely delicious creation. But, don’t take my word for it, try it yourself!

Recipe

Ingredients

  • 3 Eggs
  • 100ml Sunflower Oil
  • 180g Flour
  • 1 package Baking Powder
  • 20ml Milk
  • 100g Greek Yogurt
  • 200g fresh Figs
  • 100g Bacon
  • 100g Emmentaler, grated
  • Salt | Pepper | Sugar

Instructions

  1. Put baking paper in a long cake tin and preheat the oven to 180ºC.
  2. Mix the eggs and oil together with an electric mixer until they are fluffy.
  3. Slowly sift in the flour, baking powder and sugar.
  4. Pour in the milk and mix well with an electric mixer to make sure no clumps are left.
  5. Wash the figs and cut them into thin slices.
  6. Cut the bacon into thin strips.
  7. Mix the bacon, figs and cheese into the batter. Add salt and pepper to taste.
  8. Pour the batter into the cake tin and spread it well.
  9. Bake the cake at 160ºC fan for about 45 minutes or until golden-yellow.
  10. Cut into slices and enjoy!

 

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