'Spanakopita' from scratch

This is how Greek people do it...

Ingredients:

Dough-

1 1/2 cups flour, sifted

150 ml (+ )water

good pinch of salt

Filling-

3 bunches spinach, cooked and chopped (squeeze the excess  moisture)

3-5 shallots, chopped

1 1/2 cup feta, crumbled

1 cup ricotta (or similar)

2 eggs, beaten

1/2 cup dill, chopped

salt and pepper to taste
-Oil (light olive), between 1/3 cup and 1/2 cup needed  
Method:
Make a soft dough from flour, water and salt. Knead until soft and no longer sticky (dust surface with flour all the time). Divide into 2 balls, one slightly bigger than other, then each half divide into 4 (so you'll get 4 small balls and 4 slightly bigger). Dust a clean cloth with flour and place dough onto it. Dust the dough and cover with another cloth. Let it rest for 30 minutes.
Mix all ingredients for filling.  
Switch oven to 180*C, prepare a round baking tin; oil it well.
Dust working space with flour, then roll out each bigger dough balls into baking dish size. Spread each circle with 1-2 tbs oil, then stack them onto each-other. Roll stacked dough together, until you get thin pastry larger than your dish, if necessary pull thick edges of dough with your fingers. Place it onto baking tin, leaving edges of dough over your tin; spoon filling onto it. Now repeat process with other dough balls; you'll get smaller circle. Roll out to the size of your tin and place over the filling. Now turn the edges of bottom dough over to seal with upper dough. Oil the top and place in the oven. Bake for 35-45 minutes, or until pita becomes 'golden-brown'. 
Take out and let it cool slightly, then slice and serve.

'Spanakopita'

 Evo kako to rade u Grckoj...

Potrebno:

Tijesto-
1 1/2 solja brasna, prosijano
150ml (+) voda
dobar prstohvat soli
Fil-
3 svaznja spinata, skuhanog, isjeckanog i ocijedjenog
3-5 stabljika mladog luka
1 1/2 solja feta sira, izmrvljenog
1 solja rikote (ili slicnog)
2 jaja, blago umucena
1/2 solje sjeckanog kopra / mirodjije
so i biber prema ukusu
-Ulje za razvlacenje kora (oko 1/3 -1/2 solje)
Nacin:
Umijesite mekano tijesto od navedenih sastojaka. Podijelite na 2 polovice, jedna malo veca od druge, zatim svaku polovicu podijelite na 4 (dobicete 4 vece i 4 manje loptice). Pobrasnite cistu krpu i postavite loptice na nju; pokrijte. Ostavite odmarati 30 minuta.
Pomijesajte sve sastojke za fil. 
Ukljucite rernu na 180*C, nauljite okruglu tepsiju. 
Pobrasnite radnu povrsinu pa razvaljajte vece krugove tijesta. Premazite svaki sa 1-2 K ulja; poredajte jednu na drugu. Sada sve zajedno razvaljajte jos jednom, tako da dobijete krug veci od vase tepsije; ako je neophodno krajeve dodatno razvucite prstima. Smjestite ovo tijesto u tepsiju; neka krajevi vise preko. Stavite fil preko njega, zatim ponovite postupak sa manjim lopticama tijesta, koje bi trebalo ostati velicine tepsije. Postavite preko fila, zatim zavrnite donje tijesto preko i stisnite sa gornjim. Nauljite povrsinu i smjestite u rernu. Pecite 35-45 minuta, ili dok pita ne postane zlatno-zuta. 
Prohladite malo, zatim rezite i sluzite.

Bosnian Pita with Nettle Leaves ..or, Spring in My Birth Town

For years and years I was dreaming about visiting to my birth town in spring. I wanted to see all my backyard (fruit)trees in full bloom. A lot of beautiful memories from this garden I carry with me; climbing trees pretending to be all sorts of super heroes from that time, running barefoot through deep snow every night in winter time to 'wash our feet' as my father would suggest, having street children for fruit harvest in autumn...
And there I was, with my open hart, breathing in every little scent that could recall beautiful memories. I was sad that I couldn't find some of my favorites. A lot of them were damaged during the war. But, little trees that I left 19 years ago, weren't babies any more, are still there offering beautiful blooms in spring, shades in Summer, fruit in autumn and most memorable 'crystal' scenes in winter, when rain and low temperatures coat them in ice and put on an unforgettable art display.
Spring is also time when certain 'natures' food is available. After long winter, our body is craving some highly nutritious food, like Stinging Nettle, for example.

Stinging nettle (Urtica Dioica)has a flavour similar to spinach when cooked and is rich in vitamins A, C, iron, potassium, manganese, and calcium. Soaking nettles in water or cooking will remove the stinging chemicals from the plant, which allows them to be handled and eaten without incidence of stinging.
Extracts can be used to treat arthritis, anemia, hay fever, kidney problems, dandruff, prostate problems, and pain.
Recipe:
Harvest Nettle (young tips only) using thick gloves. Boil water in pot, put nettle inside and cook for a couple of minutes. Drain and cut finely (like spinach). Oil and salt according to your taste; Ricotta or Fetta can be added and mixed.
Follow my recipe for 'Bosnian Pita'. Enjoy!




Pita od Žare/Koprive ili Proljece u mom rodnom gradu

Godinama sam mastala o tome da posjetim moje rodno mjesto u proljece. Zeljela sam da vidim moje dvoriste, moje vocke sa rascvjetalim krosnjama.
Mnogo lijepih memorija iz moje baste nosim sa sobom; Penjanje po drvecu, zamisljajuci razne scene iz tadasnjih filmova (Sandokan!),zimsko trcanje bosonog svako vece kroz snijeg 'da operemo noge' kako bi moj tata rekao, sazivanje djece iz komsiluka kada je vrijeme berbi...
I stigla sam... sa sirom otvorenim srcem, udisuci svaki najmanji miris koji je mogao probuditi uspomene. Na zalost, par mojih najdrazih stabala nisam pronasla. Stradali su u ratu; ali, mlada stabla koja sam ostavila prije 19 godina vise nisu bili 'bebe'. Porasli su da svojim' cvjetovima krase dvoriste u proljece, pruze hlad ljeti, a zimi, kada kisa i hladnoca udruze svoje moci i daju svoju umjetnicku postavku, zablistaju u svom punom 'kristalnom' sjaju.
Proljece je vrijeme kada je odredjena 'prirodna' hrana pristupacna. Poslije duge zime, tijelima je potrebno dosta vitamina i minerala koji se mogu naci u prirodi; npr - izdanci zare / koprive.

Zara / kopriva (Urtica Dioica)Ima ukus slican spinatu. Bogata je vitaminima A i C, te zeljezom, kalcijumom, fosforom i manganom. Kuhanjem listova otklanjate hemikalije koje izazivaju osjecaj opeklina na kozi (tkivu).
Koristi se u lijecenju artritisa, anemije problema sa prostatom i bubrezima, otklanja perut, ublazava bol...
Recept:
Uberite mlade vrhove zare, koristeci deblje gumene rukavice. Prokljucajte vodu u serpi, ubacite zaru i kuhajte par minuta. Ocijedite i isjeckajte kao sto biste spinat. Dodajte ulje i soli po ukusu; obicni sir ili feta mogu biti pomijesani po zelji.
Slijedite moj recept 'Bosansku pitu'Uzivajte u zdravoj i ukusnoj hrani!

Simplified Bosnian Pita - Maslenica

As 'Bosnian Pita' is most popular page on my blog, I've decided to show simplified technique to all who want to learn making pastry, but are indecisive, because it looks difficult. This version of 'Pita' doesn't require very thin pastry, and even if the pastry tears a bit is OK, because only folding is involved. 'Maslenica' is pita with 'maslo' (Ghee); I started practicing on this sort of Pita.

Follow this recipe to make your pastry and prepare surface.
Prepare filling (your choice):
-Sauteed onions in olive oil (3), salt, pepper
-Cottage cheese 200g, 1 egg, salt (filling should be 'runny')
-Sauteed mushrooms, with some cream and salt
-Cooked mince with onion, salt pepper
-Capsicums...
This time I've chosen first 2.
When you stretch the pastry, spoon some extra oil in a thin stream (or melted butter mixed with some oil); sprinkle your filling in middle third, fold one side over it, repeat oiling/spooning mixture (now in half pastry which is folded already), fold again (another side over the middle). Do this process one more time: oil/sprinkle middle, fold one side, oil/sprinkle half fold over it. You'll get a square pita (with 9 layers). Each top (except final one) should be sprinkled with topping/filling.


Don' worry if looks 'wrinkled' or if pastry tears while stretching. This is 'Maslenica' - it's allowed, and you're practicing.
Oil top of pita. Bake at 180*C (fan forced) 25-minutes or until nice and golden.
Slice and serve with drinking yogurt (optional).

Maslenica - ili pita za pocetnike
Mnogo laksa verzija razvijanja jufke, posto je deblja i moze cak i da popuca. Ja sam se vjezbala na Maslenici, kao i mnoge druge pocetnice.
Slijedite ovaj recept za jufku, pripremite povrsinu i filing:
- sir sa jajima i kajmakom ('tecno' stanje)
- proprzeni luk sa soli i biberom
- gljive dinstane sa soli i malo kajmaka
- mljeveno dinstano meso + luk, zacinjeno
- paprike sjeckane...
Kada razvucete tijesto, koje moze ostati deblje, na srednju trecinu poprskajte nadjev i malo nauljite, preklopite jednu stranu, pa preko nje stavite nadjev i ulje. Preklopite i drugu stranu preko.(Vidi sliku gore). Sada to isto ucinite ponovo: fil na sredu, preklopi, fil i ulje ponovo, preklopi. Treba da dobijete znaci 9 slojeva, sa filom preko svakog sloja, osim posljednjeg, kojeg morate nauljiti. Ne brinite ako je tijesto popucalo, ili se zguzvalo. Tako treba, jer ste u fazi prakticiranja i dozvoljeno je. Pecite 25 -30 min na 180*C. Sluziti sa jogurtom (po zelji).