In the “before times,” my husband and I spent a lot of our non-working time out and about in the community. A side effect of going out regularly meant that we spent less time hanging at home doing home-things like preparing “project” recipes and streaming lengthy tv series. Last March, when many of the places we frequented were closed, we were forced to pivot our leisure time --with this pivot came some growing up. I have joked/marveled/complained regularly over the past year that it seems like all I am doing is filling, running, and emptying the dishwasher; filling and emptying the trash can; asking and answering the question “what should we have for dinner tonight?”
In this episode of Kelli’s Kitchen, I want to talk about two distinctly different scenarios that played out in my house this last week: a project meal and an exhausted meal. Both are truly a result of the ways that life has changed in our household in these new “after times.”
THE PROJECT MEAL
Neil and I have developed an affinity for the show “The Blacklist.” In our search for regular entertainment in a time where we quickly move through limited series, the Blacklist has been a delight. The seasons are long, the characters are engaging, and the plot line is compelling. In the latest episode, Raymond Reddington refers to a “meat and potato pie” from Bosnia, sharing a slice with the deputy director of the FBI -- Neil immediately hit the pause button, turned to me and said “well, that sounds delicious. You should make that this week.”
Thank God for Google. A quick search revealed that the pie in question was likely a burek. The Burek is a ubiquitous dish throughout the Balkans -- while the ingredients vary, the dish is basically a savory filling baked in a flaky pastry wrapper. Not one to back away from a challenge, I decided to give it a go. There were a few limiting factors (predominantly the limited availability of specialty ingredients in Fallon -- come on International Market), but creative substitutions enabled a delicious final product.
I decided to fill our bureks with both meat and creamy cheese filling. Paying homage to the bureks’ region of origin, the meat filling that I made features ground lamb, pine nuts, and dried apricots; the cheese layer was a mix of Greek yogurt, crumbled feta, and mint. Both of these fillings are spooned onto a layered base of oiled phyllo pastry, wrapped up like a burrito, and baked until golden brown--Crispy, crunchy, creamy, sweet and savory, and DELICIOUS.
THE EXHAUSTED MEAL
There is a time and place for a project meal -- the one that involves research, shopping, multiple steps, lots of dishes, soaking, marinating, assembling, and more all before the eating happens. There are also days where the idea of even boiling water sounds like too much work. The truth of the matter is that it doesn’t matter how late it is, how Zoom-fatigued I am, how much I just want to “Netflix and Chill,” we still need to eat. This week, I found my new favorite recipe for this inevitable situation -- and I love it so much that we have eaten it twice in the last 5 days.
Scarlett’s Tuna Salad is the child of chef Scarlett Lindeman from her restaurant Cicatriz in Mexico City. This tasty salad features oil-packed tuna, marinated cucumbers and spring onions, and a ton of fresh herbs. It is alternatively bright, salty, fresh, and tangy--and most importantly it takes almost no energy to make.
Kelli’s Take on Bosnia Bureks
INGREDIENTS:
Meat Filling
2 T Extra virgin olive oil - plus more for brushing phyllo
1 T unsalted butter
1 yellow onion, diced
1 russet potato, peeled and diced
1 lb. ground lamb
Salt and pepper
1 t cinnamon
1 t cumin
½ - 1 t crushed red pepper
1 T sumac powder
2 T ginger syrup (you can find this by the pancake syrup at Safeway. It is delicious but you don’t REALLY need it - you can substitute a squirt of lemon juice and some honey)
10 dried apricots - fine diced
½ c pine nuts
Cheese Filling
6 oz package of Feta Cheese - crumbled
1 c Greek yogurt
1 egg - lightly beaten
2 T parsley - chopped
¼ c fresh mint - chopped
For Assembly
1 package of phyllo dough (about 18 sheets) - defrosted
1 egg - well beaten
Sesame seeds, Everything Bagel Seasoning, Nigella Seeds, Poppy seeds (optional - for garnish)
DIRECTIONS:
1.In a pan over medium heat, melt butter and oil together. When hot, add diced onion and sauté until lightly browned. Add potatoes and lamb and cook stirring regularly and breaking up chunks with the back of your spoon until the lamb is browned. Add all dry spices, ginger syrup (if using), apricots, and pine nuts and cook another few minutes stirring frequently until well mixed. Season to taste with salt and pepper and set aside to cool.
2.For the cheese filling: mix together crumbled feta and yogurt. Season with salt and pepper then mix in beaten egg. Stir in parsley and mint.
3.Preheat oven to 350. Unroll defrosted phyllo dough and cover with a damp cloth. Lay one sheet of phyllo on your work surface and brush with olive oil. Carefully place another sheet of phyllo directly on top of the first and brush with olive oil. Repeat with a third sheet of phyllo. Fold layered phyllo dough in half to form a rectangle and turn so the short side of the rectangle is facing you.
4.Spread about one-sixth of the cheese mix towards the bottom of the rectangle and smear with the back of your spoon. Spoon about a ½-¾ c of the meat mix on top of the cheese. Roll/fold the pastry up, tucking in the sides to create a roll (like a burrito) and place on a lined baking sheet.
5.Repeat 5 times to form 6 total meat pies.
6.Brush bureks with beaten egg and sprinkle with garnish.
7.Bake for 25-30 minutes until golden brown. Enjoy warm or at room temperature.
Scarlett’s Tuna Salad
Adapted from Tejal Rao
INGREDIENTS:
1/4 c rice wine vinegar
1 T sugar
1 T salt
½ red onion - thin sliced
½ cucumber - peeled and sliced
1 spring onion (at Safeway these are called Mexican Grilling Onions) - thin sliced
1 lime - juiced
2 cans oil-packed tuna
1 avocado - peeled and cubed
Salt and pepper
Basil leaves - washed and torn
Cilantro - washed and torn
Mint - washed and torn
Extra virgin olive oil
DIRECTIONS:
1.In a bowl, mix together rice wine vinegar, salt, pepper, and a ¼ c hot water. Stir until combined. Add in sliced red onion, stir, and let sit.
2.In a large bowl, season cucumbers and spring onions well with salt and lime juice. The mix should be fairly wet. Stir to combine. Split cucumbers and onions between 2 bowls including all of the liquid.
3.Break up tuna into the mixing bowl. Add in cubed avocado, 3 spoonfuls of pickled red onions and 2 spoonfuls of pickling liquid and gently mix together with your hands. Split the tuna mix equally over the cucumbers and onions in each bowl. Season with salt and pepper.
4.Top with torn herbs and drizzle with olive oil.
5.Eat immediately with a spoon (or a fork as pictured).
Kelli Kelly - Slinger of Produce. Slurper of Dumplings. Person of the Bean.
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