Greek Style Croustade Recipes

GREEK CROUSTADE

Steps:

• Cook the spinach according to the package directions; drain well, pressing out excess liquid. In a medium saucepan, cook onion in the 3 tablespoons butter or margarine till tender. Stir in the flour, tarragon, and pepper. Add milk all at once. Cook and stir till mixture s thickened and bubbly. Stir about half of the hot mixture into eggs; return all to saucepan. Stir in cheeses and spinach. Set aside. unroll the phyllo dough; remove 1 sheet of phyllo dough at a time. (As you work, cover the remaining phyllo dough with plastic wrap to prevent it from drying out.) Lightly brush the first sheet with some of the remaining 1/2 cup butter or margarine. Fold phyllo in thirds lengthwise; brush the top with butter. Place one end of the folded sheet in the center of a 12- or 14-inch pizza pan, extending it over side of pan. Repeat with the remaining phyllo dough and butter, arrange strips spoke-fashion evening around pan. (The ends of each sheet will overlap in the center and be about 3 inches apart at outer ends.) Spread the spinach mixture in an 8-inch circle in the center of the pastry. starting with the last phyllo strip placed int he pan, lift the ends of the leaf up and bring it in toward the center of filling. Holding end with both hands, twist end several times; coil and tuck end under to form a rosette. Lay rosette over filling, leaving a 3-inch circle in center (filling should be visible). Repeat with the remaining phyllo strips in the reverse order in which they were placed in the pan. Drizzle any remaining butter or margarine over all. Bake in 375° oven for 30 to 35 minutes or till golden. Serve warm. Cut into wedges to serve. Nutrition facts per serving: 272 cal., 20 g total fat (12 g sat fat), 96 mg chol., 532 mg sodium, 15 g carbo, 0 g fiber, and 9 g pro. Daily Values: 32% vit A, 4% vit C, 13% calcium, and 8% iron.

GREEK CROUSTADE [BHG 1983]

Steps:

• For filling
• In a saucepan cook onion in 2 tablespoons of butter until tender. Stir in flour, tarragon, and black pepper. Add milk all at once; cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Stir half of hot mixture into egg; return all to saucepan. Cook and stir for 1 minute more (don't boil!) Remove from heat, stir in spinach and feta then set aside.
• -.
• Preheat oven to 375°F Brush a 12-inch pizza pan with some of the 1/3 cup melted butter; set aside. Unroll phyllo dough; remove 1 sheet of the phyllo dough at a time (As you work, cover remaining phyllo dough with plastic wrap to to prevent it from drying out) Lightly brush the first sheet with remainder of butter fold phyllo into thirds lengthwise to form a strip; brush the top butter. Place one end of strip in center of prepared pan, extending it over side of pan. Repeat with remaining phyllo dough and butter arranging strips spoke-fashion evenly around pan. (ends of strips will overlap in center and be about 3 inches apart at outer edges).

GREEK STYLE CROUSTADE

Steps:

• Cook spinach acc to pkg directions; drain well and squeeze out all liquid.
• In saucepan, cook onion in the 3 T butter; stir in flour, tarragon, and pepper.
• Add milk all at once;cook and stir until thick and bubbly.
• Stir half the hot mixture into eggs, return all to saucepan.
• Stir in spinach, cottage cheese and feta cheese.
• Brush 1 sheet of phyllo dough with butter, fold into thirds.
• Place one end in center of 14in pizza pan, extending sheet over the edge of the pan.
• Brush with butter.
• Repeat until all 10 sheets of dough are used.
• Make sure middle of pan is covered with dough.
• Place filling in an 8in circle at the center of pan.
• Starting with the last sheet you laid, lift end up and bring toward center, twist the end of the sheet, coil, and tuck under.
• Repeat with remaining sheets.
• Sheets will not meet in the center, center will be open.
• Drizzle any remaining butter over top.
• Bake at 375* for 35 minutes, until golden.
• Cut into wedges.

ARTICHOKE CROUSTADES

Steps:

• Roll each bread slice flat with a rolling pin and trim it to form a 2 1/2-inch square. Brush both sides of the squares lightly with the butter and fit the squares gently into 1/8-cup muffin tins (gem tins), pressing the bread against the sides of the tins. Bake the croustades in the middle of a preheated 350°F. oven for 12 to 14 minutes, or until the edges are pale golden. The croustades may be made 2 days in advance and kept in an airtight container.
• In a bowl stir together the artichoke hearts, the mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon of the scallion, 1/4 cup of the Parmesan, and salt and pepper to taste, divide the mixture by heaping teaspoons among the croustades, and sprinkle the remaining tablespoons Parmesan on top. Broil the croustades under a preheated broiler about 6 inches from the heat, being careful not to let the croustades edges burn, for 1 minute, or until the filling is bubbling. Garnish the croustades with the scallion greens and arrange 3 of them on each of 6 heated small plates.

BREAD CUP MUSHROOM CROUSTADES

Steps:

• Bread Cup: Preheat oven to 400°F Cut a 2-3 inch round from each bread slice. Gently fit bread rounds into each mold of a mini-mufin pan to form a cup. Bake 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool and set aside.
• Filling: In a heavy skillet, saute shallots in butter for 1 minute. Stir in mushrooms and simmer, uncovered until all liquid has evaporated; about 10 minutes.
• Remove from heat and stir flour into mushrooms. Pour cream over and return to heat.
• Stirring constantly, bring to boil and cook another minute or so while mixture becomes very thick. Remove from heat and stir in remaining ingredients.
• Let cool, then cover and refrigerate until cool.
• Bake: Preheat oven to 350°F Fill cups with mixture and sprinkle with minced parsley and parmesan cheese of desired. Bake 10 minutes on ungreased baking sheet.
• ---------------------------------------------------------------
• NOTE: Appetizers can be made in advance and then frozen for future use. Follow the Bread cup and Filling directions above. Freeze the filled cups in the mini-muffin pan. Once frozen, you can place them in plastic bags for easier storage. When you remove them from the freezer, allow to thaw completely before baking them.