PEAR AND APPLE PHYLLO CRISP

A treat that's PERFECT FOR AUTUMN!!! Can be made vegan and/or Lent-friendly! A really nice, crunchy dessert made with phyllo dough and topped with pears, apples and cinnamon. There are some walnuts and sugar in it too. There's also butter, but if vegetable oil is used instead, the dessert becomes one hundred percent vegan and also suitable for Lent! That's one versatile recipe, isn't it? 

Delicately sweet pears and tangy apples are arranged on top of sheets of cinnamony phyllo dough. As the dessert bakes the aromas of cinnamon fill the house: scrumptious! There is no syrup here as there usually is on phyllo desserts. The flavour is unique, and with the absence of syrup, calories are fewer! Syrup does prolong the life of phyllo desserts, therefore, this delicious crisp must be consumed shortly after it's baked. 

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup walnuts or pecans, or a combination of both, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup plain, unseasoned breadcrumbs
• 1/4 cup sugar, plus more for sprinkling
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, plus more for dusting
• frozen phyllo dough, thawed in the refrigerator; you will be using only ten sheets of phyllo. There are several varieties of phyllo on the market, and some brands of phylo are wider than others. The amount of butter and fruit might have to be adjusted depending on the variety purchased. 
• 1/2 stick (four tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted
• 3 Seckel pears, sliced thinly; Seckel pears are perfect as they are naturally small and will look gorgeous here! No need to peel the pears 
• 2 baking apples, peeled and sliced thinly

Directions:

• Place a rack in the top position of your oven.
• Preheat the oven to 350° F. 
• Combine the walnuts, breadcrumbs, sugar and cinnamon.
• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and top with 1 phyllo sheet. 
• Using a pastry brush, brush the phyllo with butter;  add another phyllo sheet on top. Brush the second sheet with butter. Add a third sheet of phyllo and guess what? Brush it with butter.
• Hint: don't press down with the pastry brush. Use light, airy strokes. The lighter the brushing, the flakier the phyllo layers will turn out.
• In each of the next four phyllo layers, the nut mixture will be used, so go ahead and divide the mixture into four portions. Use one portion for each layer: 
• Add a fourth sheet and brush it with butter. Sprinkle a portion of the nut mixture on top. 
• Repeat another 3 times, buttering each phyllo layer and adding nuts.  
• Finally, top with two phyllo sheets, buttering each one. Top with the last phyllo sheet and go ahead, butter that one as well. 
• Make sure that you brush the edges of the phyllo sheets with butter so that they won't dry up during baking. The original recipe called for a lot more butter but I cut down on the amount. Too much butter is unnecessary and makes for a heavy dessert. Therefore, don't soak the phyllo with butter. If you'd like to cut some of the butter amount even further, you can substitute part or all of it with a good vegetable oil. Do not, however, use olive oil.
• Arrange the pears and apples on top of the phyllo. Brush the fruit with the remaining butter, sprinkle with sugar and dust with cinnamon.
• Bake; rotate the baking sheet halfway through baking. After 25 minutes, when the phyllo is golden brown and the fruit is soft, the dessert is ready to take out of the oven. Let cool and slice into portions.  
• The dessert should be eaten the same day; if kept longer, the phyllo will begin to lose its crispness.

This recipe has been adapted from Martha Stewart. It's a wonderful one, thanks, Martha!

SPANAKOPITA

Spanakopita is a savoury pie, well known to Greeks and non-Greeks alike. It's made with spinach, scallions, aromatic parsley and dill, and a generous amount of the ubiquitous feta cheese. These ingredients are mixed together and are spread between layers of phyllo dough. The spanakopita is then baked, and it can be eaten hot or cold. Store it in the refrigerator for one or two days, three if you must, but keep in mind that phyllo tends to get soggy, therefore, its storage life should be short. In most homes, this happens by default, since no one can resist sneaking to the fridge for one more piece of spanakopita.

Before we go ahead with the recipe, some words about phyllo dough. Phyllo (фύλλο), means leaf in Greek. That describes this dough perfectly: it's made up of several fragile sheets packaged together and resembling thin, transparent leaves.

• There are two types of phyllo: store-bought and homemade.
• The homemade type is not difficult to make. If one can bake bread, one can become accomplished at making phyllo. It takes a bit of practice and a bit of patience, but the result is worth it. Homemade has a better flavour than store bought, and it has a denser, thicker texture, which is more desirable for savoury pies.
• The commercial variety is also very good, and very, very convenient, thus widely used. It is sold in one pound packages and is available in different thicknesses.
• Phyllo sheets measure 18" x 14" but can be cut with kitchen shears as required to fit the recipe or pan. Phyllo can be bought fresh or frozen. Either variety is good, but make sure that you check its expiration date.
• The thin variety of phyllo, usually labelled #4, is meant to be used for pastries such as baklava. Each 1 pound box contains approximately 24 sheets.
• The thicker variety sometimes referred to as "country phyllo" contains about eight sheets per 1 pound box, and is more suited for savoury cheese and vegetable-filled pies.
• If you're going to make baklava, use the #4 phyllo. If you're making spanakopita, do yourself a favour and look for the thicker variety. If your supermarket does not carry thick phyllo, visit a Greek or Middle Eastern market. There will be plenty of it there. (If in a pinch, the thinner variety can be used. Layer 8 sheets on the bottom, 4 in the middle, six on top, and don't forget to brush each sheet with oil).
• As you are working with phyllo, keep it covered with a clean kitchen towel to keep it moist. It dries out very quickly and then becomes brittle and difficult to use. Remove one sheet at a time keeping the remainder covered.
• Do not worry if you tear a piece of phyllo by mistake. You can patch pieces by joining them together. Use them on the bottom or middle layer of your pastry or pie so that it will not show in the final product.
• No matter what thickness or shape you are using, each piece of phyllo must be brushed with oil (or butter) as it is layered. This keeps the sheets separated, giving you a fluffy and airy end product. 

Ingredients:

2 (10-ounce) packages frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained well. Make sure there is very little liquid remaining in the spinach.
1/4 cup of olive oil
3/4 cup finely chopped fresh dill
1 cup of finely chopped fresh parsley
1 red onion, chopped
5 scallions, chopped
1 leek, well rinsed and chopped (use the white and light green parts)
3 cloves garlic, chopped
3/4 pound of feta cheese
1/4 cup ricotta cheese
4 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, divided
3 tablespoons breadcrumbs
1 egg
1 teaspoon pepper
1 pound package of thick phyllo pastry sheets (# 10), defrosted as per package directions if purchased frozen.
1/2 cup oil, a combination of olive and another good vegetable oil to brush the pan and phyllo 

A pastry brush

Directions:

• In a large pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat. When hot, sauté the leeks, onions, scallions, and garlic until they soften, stirring continuously with a wooden spoon. 
• Add the spinach, stir and cook about five minutes,  stirring occasionally.
• Transfer to a colander and set aside to drain for at least one hour.
• Meanwhile, bring the packaged phyllo dough to room temperature.
• Remove the spinach mixture from the colander and place in a bowl.
• Beat the egg with a fork and add to the spinach mixture. Toss well to combine.
• Add the dill, parsley, and pepper. Stir to combine.
• Using a fork break the feta into chunky pieces. 
• Add to the spinach mixture. 
• Add the ricotta cheese and two tablespoons of the Parmesan cheese. Toss to combine. 
• Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C. 
• Brush the bottom and sides of a deep baking pan with oil (the pan can be round, square, or rectangular).
• Layer 3 of the phyllo sheets on the bottom, brushing each sheet with the olive oil.
• Spoon half the spinach mixture on top of the sheets and spread evenly. Sprinkle some of the breadcrumbs over the spinach. These will absorb any excess water.
• Layer one phyllo leaf on top of the breadcrumbs. Brush it with oil and then sprinkle a bit of Parmesan cheese over it. Layer another phyllo leaf on top of that, and again brush with oil.
• Spoon the rest of the spinach mixture on top, and spread evenly. Once again, sprinkle some bread crumbs over the spinach.
• Layer the remaining phyllo sheets on top, brushing each sheet with oil. Overlapping phyllo can be trimmed with kitchen shears or folded in.
• Brush the top of the spanakopita lightly and evenly with oil and sprinkle with a bit of Parmesan cheese.
•  Score into serving-size squares, cutting through to the bottom. Sprinkling the top with cheese is optional, but you must brush with oil!
• Bake in the centre of the oven for about 45 minutes or until golden brown. When done, remove from the oven and allow to cool 20 minutes before serving.
• For Greek pitas don't use butter. Save your butter for the baklava. For the spinach pies, cheese pies, or any other savoury pie, oil is the way to go! ou'll get a lighter, tastier, healthier product.