Recipe of the Week – Bulgarian Banitsa

Ingredients:

1 packet filo dough (Ralph’s has it)

12 oz feta cheese (crumbled)

1 cup of plain yogurt

1 tea spoon baking soda

4 eggs

1 cup sparkling water

3 tbsp melted butter or vegetable oil

½ tsp salt

 Process:

Grease the bottom of a baking pan (9×13 in) with a thin layer of melted butter (or oil). Prepare a cheese-egg mixture: 3 eggs (slightly beaten), look yogurt mixed in advance with the baking soda to form bubbles, salt and the cheese. It has to be a fairly dense mixture, if not, add more cheese.

Layer 2-3 filo dough sheets at the bottom of the pan, pour some of the cheese-egg mixture, add another layer of filo dough (I use 2 sheets per layer, crumpled so they keep some air between the layers). Brush the layer with some of the melted butter, then make another layer of sheets, add cheese-egg mixture again, another sheet of dough, butter, etc. Repeat it 8-9 times until you reach the top of the pan or you run out of cheese and sheets. Finish with one layer of filo dough on the top. Cut into squares (2×2).

Prepare an egg mixture the following way: beat 1 egg with 1 cup of sparkling water (can substitute the water with milk). Pour the egg mixture along the cut squares.  Move the pan and help with a knife at the edges. Make sure the liquid reaches the bottom and the middle of the layers otherwise they may remain dry.

Preheat the oven at 375 F. Bake 45 min or until the top looks golden. Serve warm. Enjoy!

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Polina Kinchev, Moorpark

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