Last year while in Greece, I rode into my father’s hometown of Amynteon (Florina) with one of my cousins. We stayed at her mom’s and when we got there lunch was waiting for us, including this stewed beef dish with zucchini and finished in an Avgolemono sauce.

I opted for a lighter version of this dish, thickening the sauce with a corn starch slurry and the results were fantastic! This is another one-pot dish you can add into your meal options for family/friends. I wish I had experienced this dish before I released my Everything One Pot Mediterranean cookbook. It would have made a great addition!

I know you can go buy “stewing beef” from the super market but the cut of beef used can be dubious so, look for/ask for chuck. It has some fat, lots of flavour and should be tender after about 45-60 minutes covered in a cast iron Dutch oven.

Beef Lemonato With Zucchini

Recipe by Peter MinakiCourse: MainDifficulty: Medium

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

20

minutes

Cooking time

1

hour 

10

minutes

Ingredients

• 1 kg. of beef chuck, cut into large chunks

• sea salt and pepper
  1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

• 1 1/2 cups roughly sliced onions

• 4-5 cloves of garlic, smashed

• 3 bay leaves

• handful of fresh mint leaves

• 2 branches of fresh oregano or savory

• 1 Tbsp. tomato paste

• juice of 1/2 lemon

• 1/2 cup white wine

• 3 large potatoes, peeled and cut into wedges

• 1 beef or chicken bouillon cube

• 3 small zucchini, cut into chunks

• 1 Tbsp. corn starch diluted in cold water

Directions

• Season your beef with salt and place your Dutch oven on your stovetop over medium-high heat. Add half your oil into the pot and lightly brown your meat.
• Lower heat to medium and add your remaining oil, onions and garlic and sweat for 5 minutes.
• Add wine, lemon juice, bay leaves, mint, oregano, tomato paste, potatoes, bouillon and enough hot water (about 3 cups) to just cover the meat. Add some more salt, ground pepper and bring up to a boil.
• Cover and lower to a simmer and cook for 45 minutes.
• Uncover and check meat’s doneness with a fork. Cover and check in 10 minute intervals (add water if needed).
• Once meat is tender, add zucchini and cover and cook another 10 minutes.
• Uncover, taste liquid and adjust seasoning, add more lemon juice if desired. Add the corn starch slurry and remove bay leaves.

Notes

• If you wish, you can omit the potatoes and serve with a side of fries.
• I like using a Dutch oven because it is made from cast iron and it retains heat well. If you don’t have one, a pot with a lid will work but cooking time may be a little longer.

I recall living in a home in Scarborough (east Toronto) when I was a little boy and the home had strawberries growing around the front and side of the home. These were the tastiest strawberries unless my impatience got the best of me and I would eat unripened strawberries.

Strawberries are in season and while I am happy to eat them raw, they make for great desserts as well, like this Strawberry Mousse. You’ll also need some sugar, vanilla, and some whipped cream. A garnish of a half strawberry and you have a pretty (and tasty) little dessert.

Strawberry Mousse

Recipe by Peter MinakiCourse: Dessert, Featured, Vegetarian

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

10

minutes

Chiill Time

1

hour 

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups fresh or frozen strawberries

• 1/4 cup water

• 1/2 cup+ 2 Tbsp granulated sugar

• splash of lemon juice

• 1 tsp. vanilla extract

• 1 cup cold 35% cream

• 1 tsp. vanilla extract

• 1/4 cup icing sugar

Directions

• Remove stems from your strawberries and slice them. Place in a pot with water, sugar and lemon juice. Turn heat to medium and and gently boil for 5 minutes, take off the heat.
• Add the vanilla and mash the strawberries until a puree and allow to cool. Remove about 1/3 cup of puree and set aside.
• Place your cream and vanilla in a bowl and begin to whip. Add sugar in increments and whip to stiff peaks.
• Take the puree still in the pot and fold into the cream.
• Carefully fill the 4 glasses with strawberry mousse and top each serving with the reserved strawberry puree.
• Garnish with half a strawberry and place in the fridge for 1 hour before serving.

Notes

• You can make this dessert up to three days prior to serving.

This past weekend, I hosted one of my favourite events, my Mother’s Day luncheon. It’s a wonderful afternoon of good food and wine. One of the dishes I served was this salad of baby spinach, chopped radicchio, my 3-ctirus dressing, some crumbled Feta and toasted walnuts.

Radicchio is in the chicory family, can be eaten raw in salads but I’ve seen wedges of it grilled as well. It grows best in Spring and Fall and most grocery stores carry it.

Beside this being a tasty salad, it’s also an attractive one with the green and purple contrasts. Some crumbled feta, walnuts and you’ll find this salad refreshing and filling.

Spinach Salad with Radicchio & Feta

Recipe by Peter MinakiCourse: Featured

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

15

minutes

Cooking timeminutes

Ingredients

• 1/2 head of radicchio, thinly chopped

• approx. 3 cups of baby spinach

• 2 scallions, thinly sliced

• 1/3 cup of crumbled Feta

• salt and pepper to taste

• 3 citrus dressing recipe

• 1/4 cup of toasted chopped walnuts

Directions

• Add your radicchio, spinach, scallions, some salt and pepper, half the Feta and dressing (to your taste).
  
• Gently toss, have a taste and adjust seasoning or add more dressing if needed.
• Top with the remaining Feta and walnuts and serve

A week ago, a friend of mine sent me an image of a package of fish fillets that were labeled “Icelandic Ocean Perch”. My friend asked me if I had ever tried this fish and I hadn’t – until last night. The labeling indicated that the fish could be purchased at Costco and off I went to buy and try.

Each package contains about 8 skin-on fillets. I am a hungry guy and I cooked up two fillets for myself. Opening the package, there was no overbearing fish smell (rather a pleasant one), the fillets have no pin bones and all one has to do is give them a rinse and pat-dry.

According to a producer of this fish, it is wild-caught, sustainable and abundant around the waters of Iceland and in season from April to September. Ocean perch feed mostly on crustaceans, which explains why this fish is so tasty!

Mild in flavour yet firm texture and I like that the skin is on (I like crispy fish skin). To achieve crispy skin on your fish, a hot skillet or the broiler in the oven should do the trick. The grill will work but only try if you’re experienced with grilling fish.

I opted for simplicity and pan-seared the fish and served with a portion of lemony rice, some steamed broccolini and a wedge of lemon for an extra kick.

Have you heard or tried Icelandic ocean perch? Will you try it? Let me know!

Icelandic Ocean Perch

Recipe by Peter MinakiCourse: FeaturedDifficulty: Easy

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

10

minutes

Cooking time

15

minutes

Ingredients

• 8 fillets of Icelandic Ocean Perch

• extra-virgin olive oil

• sea salt

• ground pepper
  

• wedge of lemon for garnish

Directions

• Gently rinse your fillets and pat dry with paper towel. Drizzle both sides of the fish with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
  
• Place a large non-stick skillet on your stovetop over medium-high heat. Add two or three tablespoons of oil into your pan.
• Place 4 fillets skin side down first and saute for about 3 minutes or until skin is crispy. Carefully flip and saute the other side for a minute or two. Transfer to a plate and keep warm.
• Repeat with remaining 4 fillets.
• Serve on a bead of rice (try my spanakorizo) and some steamed vegetables (I like broccolini) and a wedge of lemon per portion.

• Aegean Airlines will introduce digital boarding on domestic flights
• Exports of Greek spirits on the rise
• Over 280 beaches across Greece accessible to people with mobility issues
• The real difference between European and American butter
• Kalofagas hosting Phyllo from Scratch cooking classes in NYC and NJ

It’s time to once again host an all meze evening but this one’s special – join me on Sunday, June 11th as I take you on a culinary journey to Volos – where the concept of Greek tapas was born.

It will be an evening of all fish and seafood meze (small plates) served in the tradition of a Volos Tsipouradiko.

Each course will be served and you as a guest will have a choice of pairing it with Katsaros Ouzo, Tsipouro or an Assryrtiko White from Markogianni Estate (all from Celebrity Wines).

I will also serve my housemade bread with Cretan olive oil

An Evening in Volos Greek Supper Club

MENU

Meze Plates

Taramosalata and Kalamata Olive Dip Duo

Homemade bread

Marinated White Anchovy (Gavro) with Sea Asparagus, Cherry tomatoes

Steamed Clams with Garlic Wine Sauce

Seared Tuna with Puttanesca Sauce

Charred Octopus With Fava

Shrimp Saganaki

Roast Red Snapper with Spanakorizo

Dessert

Loukoumades & Vanilla Ice Cream paired with Katsaros Mastiha Liqueur and Greek coffee

*Dinner + Wine is $120/ Dinner Only $ 105

**Menu subject to change

***you must email me at info@kalofagas.ca if you wish to be seated with other people attending the event

*****No refunds for cancellations made after June 4th. Tickets are, however, transferable to another person after that date

FOR TICKETS: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/627234714917

Join me on Tuesday, May 23rd for an evening where I unlock the secrets to making phyllo pastry from scratch. I will share the basic phyllo dough recipe then show you how to open phyllo by hand. The class will take place at e.terra Kitchen in Manhattan, NY.

We will learn to make:

I will show you the master recipe for phyllo dough that you can use for various trays and and fillings. We will make a Spanakopita and custard- filled Bougatsa.

A light meal and refreshments will also be served during the class.

Tickets are $75.00 USD, class size limited to 16 spots. Payment may be made via paypal or credit card by going to this Stripe link: https://buy.stripe.com/14keX2aQx7tQ9Vu28a

NOTE: Just 16 spaces available

Where: e.terra Kitchen 2191 Third Ave. 4th Floor New York, NY 10035

When: Tuesday, May 23rd 6PM

*No refunds for cancellations made after May 16th, 2023. Tickets are, however, transferable to another person after that date

Beets are in season and after a hosting a recent Greek Supper Club, I found myself with a some extra cooked beets.

I’ve always enjoyed beets, they are high in vitamin B, reduce the possibility of heart disease and stroke. Eat your beets people!

This salad is easy – basically dump and mix. Like any recipe, you can adjust the amounts in the ingredients. I find that wine vinegar and garlic are a good balance to beets’ natural sweetness. It’s about balance in flavours.

Chickpea Salad With Beets and Feta

Recipe by Peter MinakiCourse: Featured, saladDifficulty: Easy

Servings

6

servings

Prep time

20

minutes

Cooking time

00

minutes

Ingredients

• 1 can of chickpeas (about 2 cups)

• 1/2 English cucumber, seeded and diced

• 1/2 cup diced red onion

• 1 clove of minced garlic

• 1/3 cup pitted Kalamata olives, sliced
  

• approx. 1/2 cup crumbled Feta

• 1 1/2 cups peeled and diced cooked beets

• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

• 1 tsp. Dijon mustard

• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar

• sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

• 1/4 cup chopped fresh dill

Directions

• Open your can of chickpeas and empty into a strainer. Once all the liquid has drained, transfer to a large bowl.
• Add the remaining ingredients, toss until combined.
• Taste, adjust ingredients to taste.
• Serve immediately or cover and place in the fridge until ready to serve.
• Keeps in the fridge for 1 week.

Notes

• How to cook beets: I like roasting beets by rubbing them with a little oil, place in a pan and cover with foil and placing them in a preheated 400F oven for 1 hour or until fork tender.
• To peel beets: once cooled, use a butter knife to peel the skins off.

While making Strawberry Tiramisu a couple of weeks ago, I noticed that the coulis used to dip the lady fingers in was quite tasty and thought that it would make for a nice granita.

Here in Ontario, local strawberries are not yet in season but I do see some good ones imported from the US. Chances are, strawberries are in season where you live or they are about to be.

So, let’s celebrate strawberries!

Strawberry Granita

Recipe by Peter MinakiCourse: DessertDifficulty: Easy

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

10

minutes

Cooking time

2

hours 

Ingredients

• 2 cups ripe strawberries

• 1/2 to 2/3 cups white sugar (depending on how sweet you like it)

• 1 cup water
  

• 1/4 cup orange liqueur

Directions

• Remove the stems from the strawberries and place in a medium bowl with the sugar and water and puree with a blender or stick blender. Adjust with more sugar to taste, add liqueur and mix in.
• Transfer to a pyrex or plastic container where the granita comes up about 1/2 inch and place in your freezer.
• After about an hour, Take out and stir from outside toward inside with a fork. Place back in the freezer.
• Repeat the above process 3 to 4 times using the fork to scrape the frozen granita until it is light and fluffy.
• Portion and serve.

Notes

• You can omit the liqueur but it will more a little harder to fluff up with a fork.

Greeks like using olive oil in a lot of our cooking, including desserts. A fruity olive oil works well with this cake and the result is always moist.

Just a couple of days ago, I hosted my latest Greek Supper Club with a Spring theme (Anixi in Greek) and this cake was served as dessert. A nice surprise as it was your usual citrus flavoured cake Greeks are familiar with.

Finally, sometimes adding a few twists to a classic can elevate a dish. I smeared the bottom of plate with a lemon curd to reinforce the lemon flavour in the cake, dust the top of the cake with icing sugar, top with a dollop of whipped cream and throw some berries of your choice on the plate.

With a little creativity, a simple recipe can be elevated, enjoy!

Citrus Olive Oil Cake

Recipe by Peter MinakiCourse: Dessert

Servings

8

servings

Prep time

10

minutes

Cooking time

30

minutes

Ingredients

• Wet Ingredients

• 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

• 3/4 cup granulated sugar

• 2 large eggs

• zest and juice of 1 lemon

• 1/2 cup full fat Greek style yogurt (or sour cream)

• 1 tsp. vanilla extract

• 1 1/4 cup all purpose flour

• 1/2 tsp. baking powder

• 1/2 tsp. baking soda

• 1/4 tsp. sea salt

• Garnishes

• one recipe of Lemon curd

• Icing sugar

• Raspberries

• Whipped Cream

Directions

• Pre-heat oven to 350F.
• Into another small bowl, add the flour, baking soda and salt and mix with a fork. Now slowly add to your cake mixture.
• Grease the bottom and sides of a 9-inch cake pan and line the bottom with parchment paper. Pour in your cake mixture.
• Into a bowl, add your olive oil, eggs, sugar, zest and lemon juice, vanilla and use a hand mixer to whip until creamy (about 5 minutes).
• Place on the middle rack of your pre-heated 350F oven and bake for a approx. 30-33 minutes or stick a toothpick in to test it’s baked.
• Take out of the oven, allow to cool.
• Carefully take your cake out of the pan.
• Cut your cake into 8 pieces and dust the top with icing sugar
• Smear each plate with some lemon curd and place the cake on top. Place a dollop of whipped cream on the cake, place some raspberries on the plate and serve.

Join me on Wednesday, May 24th for an evening where I unlock the secrets to making phyllo pastry from scratch. I will share the basic phyllo dough recipe then show you how to open phyllo by hand. The class will take place at Pecinka-Ferri in Fairfield, New Jersey.

We will learn to make:

I will show you the master recipe for phyllo dough that you can use for various trays and and fillings. We will make a Spanakopita and custard- filled Bougatsa.

A light meal and refreshments will also be served during the class.

Tickets are $75.00 USD, class size limited to 15 spots. Payment may be made via paypal or Interac transfer using my email, info@kalofagas.ca in the name of Peter Minaki.

FOR TICKETS: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/622445309677

*No refunds for cancellations made after May 17th, 2023. Tickets are, however, transferable to another person after that date.

Bring mama, your grandmother, your wife or your sister (or just plain come) to a special Mother’s Day 5-course menu that will feature Greek cuisine paired with Greek wines.

Lunch will take place Sunday, May 14th at 2PM at St. Lawrence Market Kitchen with wines poured by Celebrity Wines & Spirits.

MENU

Welcome Mimosa with Zoinos Aurelia Sparkling Wine and Chios Mandarin Juice

Appetizers:

Homemade Bread, Olive Oil “Butter”, Mixed Olives

Kasseropita (Kasseri Cheese Pie)

Bacon Wrapped Chicken Skewers (Koto-Bacon)

Dolmadakia Filled with Meat, Rice, Herbs topped with Avgolemono

paired with Voltes White Monemvasia Winery

1st Course: Radicchio and Baby Spinach Salad with Crumbled Feta, Walnuts

2nd Course: Bow-Tie Pasta with Cream Sauce, Spinach, Smoked Salmon

paired with Voltes Red Monemvasia Winery

Main Course: Beef With Metaxa Sauce, Mushrooms and Feta Mashed Potatoes

paired with Armathos barrel aged Merlot

Dessert: Strawberry Mousse With Almond Cookie Crumble served with Greek coffee

served with Katsatros Mastiha liqueur

*Dinner + Wine is $120/ Dinner Only $ 105

**Menu subject to change

***you must email me at truenorth67@gmail.com if you wish to seated with other people attending the event

*****No refunds for cancellations made after May 7th. Tickets are, however, transferable to another person after that date

FOR TICKETS: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/609615204487

You may now find my latest cookbook at stores or order online. This is my 7th cookbook to be published and I am very proud of the result.

This book is dedicated to the busy homemaker but everyone will find this book handy; cutting time to cooking a meal and cutting the clean up involved.

We’re talking one pot cooking, which could mean a skillet, a pot, a Dutch oven, crockpot, sheet pan, pressure cooker, Instant Pot or slow cooker.

I remember my mom, aunts, grandmothers and great aunts feeding families in a resourceful manner using one cooking vessel. They had busy lives and mouths to feed.

While your daily tasks are different from that generation, you’re busy and one pot cooking is going to help you in the kitchen!

I’ve got 200 recipes in the Everything One Pot Mediterranean Cookbook and I urge to purchase your copy today.

To order in Canada———->https://amzn.to/3mFEBkb

To order in the United States———–>https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-everything-one-pot-mediterranean-cookbook-peter-minaki/1141651966

• Greece urged to focus on olive oil tourism
• Popular “shipwreck beach” to be closed this year due to landslide fears
• Greece aiming to become year ’round travel destination
• Many Greek islands to have high speed internet this summer
• Pre-order your copy of Everything One Pot Mediterranean cookbook

© 2023, Peter Minaki. All rights reserved.

Yesterday while out grocery shopping and splurged and bought a large spiny lobster tail. I could have broiled it, grilled it  but I decided to fry it. Yes, fried lobster.

The meat holds up well to frying and the contrast of succulent lobster and crisp fried coating is texturally tremendous. The recipe isn’t hard, a little involved as it involves frying and a little time for the lobster to soak in the marinade. If in a rush, allow the lobster to soak in the marinade at room temp. for about 30 minutes.

“Great, I’ve fried some lobster but wouldn’t some sort of dipping sauce be needed here”? Yes!

If you’re a minimalist, a squeeze of lemon, you could make a tartare or ranch dressing, or toss the fried lobster in a Buffalo wing sauce.

Or mix mayo, sour cream and Gochujang (Korean red pepper paste) for a zesty dipping sauce. Or use the same mayo/sour cream combo and spike it with Indian Tandoori seasoning.

You could go Greek with Tzatziki, Go New Orleans with a Remoulade, or Asian with rice wine vinegar, soy, ginger and pinch of sugar.

Fried Lobster

4lbs. lobster tails

sea salt

ground pepper

garlic powder

onion powder

Marinade

1 cup milk

1 Tbsp. white vinegar

1/4 cup hot sauce

Flour Coating

1 1/4 cups all purpose flour

1/4 cup corn starch

1 Tbsp. baking powder

1 tsp. sweet paprika

1/ tsp. cayenne pepper

3/4 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. ground pepper

Vegetable oil for frying

1. Place your lobster tails on a cutting board and use your kitchen scissors to cut vertically through the top part of the shell. Now cut the to the left and right of the tail. Open the shell up and carefully pull out the meat. Repeat for remaining lobster tails.
2. Cut tail meat into pieces and season with salt, pepper, garlic and onion powders. Place in a bowl with milk, vinegar, hot sauce and toss to coat. Cover and place in the fridge for 1 hour.
3. Remove from the fridge and place lobster in a strainer and discard marinade.
4. Make your flour mix by adding flour, corn stacrh, baking powder, paprika, cayenne, salt and pepper and use a fork to blend. Set a aside.
5. Heat your deep fryer or add about 3 inches of oil into a deep pot, bring up to a temperature of 350F.
6. Dredge your lobster pieces in the flour mixture and toss to coat and shake off excess flour.
7. Fry your lobster pieces in batches (about 5 minutes and golden) and reserve on a paper lined platter. Sprinkle sea salt on fried lobster as they cooked.
8. Want to get fancy? Fry the lobster shells and then open them a bit and place fried lobster in your lobster shell baskets.
9. Serve with your fave dipping sauce.

© 2023, Peter Minaki. All rights reserved.

This year, Orthodox Easter falls on April 16thand for us Greeks (and many Orthodox Christians) it wouldn’t be the same without Tsoureki at the table. For the past 6 years, I’ve sold Tsourekia and the response has been tremendous. People loved my Tsoureki!

For those asking, Tsoureki is an Easter brioche with aromas of mastiha, mahlepi, orange zest and it’s texture is light, fluffy – I could eat the whole loaf!

I am now taking pre-orders for Easter Tsourekia, for pick-up only in the east-end of Toronto, cash/paypal/Interac/credit card

LAST ORDER ACCEPTED APRIL 7th, each Tsoureki is $15

Email me at info AT kalofagas.ca to place your order.

© 2023, Peter Minaki. All rights reserved.

One of the staples of Orthodox Lent is tarama – fish roe that is typically used to make Taramosalata dip.

A few years ago I made Taramokeftedes for a Greek Supper Club. The tarama was the base for making pseudo meatballs along with bread and lots of onion and herbs.

These turned out remarkably well and they are a great offering to help break up the monotony of eating the usual Lenten fare.

Taramokeftedes

(makes 15 – 20 meatballs)

1 cup finely diced white onion

6 slices of day old white slice bread

1 1/2 cups carbonated water

4 Tbsp. of tarama

1/2 cup finely chopped parsley 

1/4 cup thinly sliced scallions

1/4 cup chopped dill

fresh ground pepper

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

approx. 1 cup of flour for dredging

oil for frying

lemon wedges for garnish

1. Place a skillet on your stovetop over medium heat and add some olive oil and the onions. Sprinkle a bit of salt and sweat for 3-5 minutes or until translucent. Take off the heat and allow to cool.
2. Place your bread in a bowl and add the carbonated water. Once the bread is soaked, hand squeeze the excess water and discard water.
3. Add the tarama, parsley, onions, scallions, dill and fresh ground pepper, olive oil and mix well with your hands. You should have a moist but firm mixture.
4. Cover and place in the fridge for an hour.
5. Take out of the fridge and form into balls and dredge in flour.
6. Place a deep skillet on your stovetop and add about 3/4 inch of oil and bring up to a temp of 360F.
7. Fry in batches until golden and reserve on a paper lined platter.
8. Serve warm or room temp with wedges of lemon

© 2023, Peter Minaki. All rights reserved.

© 2023, Peter Minaki. All rights reserved.

One of my guilty pleasures are to order Shamrock Shakes from McD’s in the period around St. Patrick’s Day.

It’s a green coloured milkshake with a light mint flavour. I like it and if was available all year’ round I would order it more often.

Seeing as how I am an adult (chuckles), I am sharing a boozy version of this shake. Don’t drink green beer…have a Boozy Shamrock Shake!

Boozy Shamrock Shake

(serves 2)

4 cups vanilla ice cream

1/4 cup milk

1/4 cup Creme de Menthe Liqueur

1/4 cup of hard liquor (Irish whiskey, Vodka or white Rum)

a drop or two of green food colouring

Garnishes

whipped cream

coloured sprinkles

1. Into a blender, add ice cream, milk, liqueur, liquor, food colouring and pulse until blended and smooth.
2. Empty into tall glasses and top with whipped cream and green sprinkles.

© 2023, Peter Minaki. All rights reserved.

For many years I’ve shared a recipe for Bougatsa using homemade phyllo. Today, I am simplifying the recipe with the use of commercial/packaged phyllo AND offering you a Lent-friendly version.

The custard (krema) filling traditionally is made with milk, sugar, semolina and vanilla but I’ve found that soy milk works wonderfully to make this Lent-friendly.

The phyllo sheets can be brushed with olive oil or melted margarine and the results? You decide for yourself!

Lenten Bougatsa me Krema (Νηστίσιμη Μπουγάτσα)

(serves 6)

12 sheets of phyllo pastry

1/2 cup olive oil or melted margarine

9 x 13″ tray

For the custard filling

3 cups unsweetened soy milk

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup fine semolina

1 tsp. corn starch

2 Tbsp. vanilla extract

icing sugar and ground cinnamon

pre-heated 350F oven

1. Into a pot add your custard ingredients and turn heat to medium. Stir until thickened (should take 8-10 minutes).
2. Take off the heat and cover with plastic wrap until cooled to room temp.
3. Grease your pan with oil.. Brush a sheet of phyllo with olive oil and lay into the base of the pan with the excess phyllo draping/hanging outside the pan.
4. Repeat with 5 more sheets of phyllo (your base will have a total of 6 phyllo sheets).
5. Place the custard filling into your pan, use a spatula to spread the filling evenly.
6. Fold the excess phyllo inward and over your filling.
7. Brush a sheet of phyllo with olive oil and and place over the filling and leave the excess to overhang from the sides of the tray, Repeat with another 5 sheets of phyllo.
8. Now fold the overhanging phyllo over the filling. Dab your brush in olive oil and gently push the the phyllo around the edges downward along the sides of the pan (makes for a neat/tidy looking pie).
9. Brush the top layer of phyllo with olive oil and place in your pre-heated oven for 50-55 minutes or until top is golden.
10. Take out of the oven, allow to rest 30 minutes.
11. Carefully remove from the pan and onto to a cutting board. Cut into bite sized squares, top with powdered sugar and cinnamon.

© 2023, Peter Minaki. All rights reserved.