Best 2 Hortopita Recipes

HORTOPITA

Steps:

• Put the pumpkin in a colander, salt lightly and toss. Weight the pumpkin with a plate and weights (some canned food will do), and drain for about an hour. Trim, wash, drain and coarsely chop the greens and herbs.
• Preheat the oven to 350. Squeeze the pumpkin to get rid of as much liquid as possible. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet (or wide pot), and cook the pumpkin until it wilts and most or all of its liquid has evaporated. Transfer to a large bowl.
• Wipe the skillet clean, and heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in it; cook down the leek and onions, stirring, until wilted. Transfer to the bowl with the pumpkin.
• Heat another 2 tablespoons of oil in the skillet, and wilt the chard and spinach; add to the bowl. Add the remaining greens and herbs to the bowl, and season to taste with a generous amount of salt and a little pepper. Reserve 8 tablespoons of olive oil; stir what remains into the greens mixture.
• Lightly oil a 15-inch round pan or a shallow, rectangular roasting or sheet pan (16 inches by 12 inches). Roll out the first dough ball on a lightly floured surface, using the shape of your pan as the guide. For round pans, roll out to a circle about 18 inches in diameter; for rectangular pans, roll out to a rectangle about 3 inches larger than the perimeter of the pan. Place the dough inside, leaving about 2 inches hanging over the edge. Brush with two tablespoons of olive oil. Repeat with the second piece of dough. Brush that too with olive oil. Spread the filling evenly over the phyllo.
• Repeat the rolling process for the third sheet, placing it over the filling and pressing down gently. Brush with olive oil. Finally, roll out the last piece of dough to a slightly smaller piece, and place it over the surface of the pie. Join and fold in the bottom and top overhanging dough, rolling it around the perimeter of the pan to form a pretty rim. Brush the top of the pie generously with olive oil. Score into serving pieces (do not cut through to the bottom).
• Place in the center rack of the oven, and bake for about 40 to 50 minutes, or until the pastry is golden and crisp and the pie pulls away from the perimeter of the pan. Remove, cool in the pan and serve warm or at room temperature.

HORTOPITA

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Butter the bottom and sides of two 12-by-18-inch baking sheets.
• In a food processor, combine the flour, salt, and baking powder. Add 1 cup cold water and 2/3 cup olive oil, and process until smooth. Remove the dough from the food processor, knead it into a ball with your hands, and wrap loosely in plastic film. Let it sit for 10 minutes or until ready to use.
• In a large sauté pan, heat 1/2 cup of the oil over medium heat. Add the leeks, onion, and scallions, and sauté until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the spinach, and sauté, stirring until slightly soft, about 3 minutes.
• Using a slotted spoon, transfer the vegetables to a medium bowl, and add the parsley, mint (if using), dill, feta cheese, and salt and pepper. Taste, and adjust the seasonings if necessary.
• Divide the dough into 4 pieces. On a floured surface, roll out each piece of dough into a very thin rectangle. Brush each piece with the remaining oil, and spread 3/4 to 1 cup of filling along the length and center of each rectangle. Starting at one long side of each rectangle, roll the dough around itself to enclose the filling.
• Place the rolled dough seam-side down on the baking sheet, bending each piece to form a spiral. Brush with olive oil, and prick the surface here and there with a fork to allow steam to vent. Reduce the oven temperature to 375°F and bake until golden, 35-40 minutes. Remove from the oven, and cool slightly, cut, and serve.