Real African Dishes: [MC-AllEthnic-Recipes] Traditional Albanian Recipe for Pispilit

Thursday, August 4, 2011

[MC-AllEthnic-Recipes] Traditional Albanian Recipe for Pispilit - Cornbread & Greens Pie

* Exported from MasterCook *

Traditional Albanian Recipe for Pispilit

Recipe By :
Serving Size : 10 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : LowFat (Less than 30%) Veggie

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
2 1/4 pounds dark greens* -- spinach, chard, kale, chicory or even leeks
2 1/2 cups polenta cornmeal -- (about 250 grams)
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 cups whole milk
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon oregano -- and/or mint
1/2 garlic clove -- chopped fine (if not used to saute greens)
1/4 cup chopped parsley
pepper -- to taste

1.Prepare greens.*If using spinach, do not steam. If using a firmer green like leek, kale and chicory, saute in garlic first until just tender.
2.Drain greens of any juices.
3.Preheat oven to 350degrees.
4.In a large mixing bowl, combine polenta, milk and olive oil. Mix well with a wooden spoon. If too liquidy, add another 1/2 cup of cornmeal.
5.Add greens and spices/parsley. Mix well.
6.Pour into a non-stick baking pan and bake for approximately 25-30 minutes or until browned. Batter should swell as polenta cornmeal absorbs milk. [Use 9x13 for 12 thin pieces, or 7x11 for 8-10 thicker pieces)
7.Let cool 20-30 minutes and cut into squares. Serve warm, not hot, with homemade yogurt.
8.Leftovers are great inside a panino or served with warm rice and yogurt or toasted in an oven.

Serves 10

Another traditional Albanian recipe, Pispilit combines hearty cornmeal polenta, milk and sauteed greens for a healthy and filling dish.
A combination of hearty corn meal with milk and dark greens such as spinach, chicory, kale or swiss chard make this polenta-like cake heart healthy and appetite-satisfying. There is no butter and no eggs which lightens up the calorie and cholesterol intake. Polenta is a whole grain and perfect for those on gluten-free diets. For those on the run who need portability, energy and flavor, cut "Pispilit" up into squares and wrap individually in plastic, it will keep for several days. Imagine it Albania's combination of Italy's polenta cake and frittata.

So I'm happily sharing with you one more of my Albanian mother-in-law's faithful recipes. It's a traditional product made in Korca (southeast Albania near both the Greek and Macedonian borders). She prepares this weekly, although it's traditionally made with leeks which are common in the Mediterranean climate of Albania. Leeks here in Italy are harder to find and quite expensive. In general, the darker the green the better, since they contain a combination of folate and iron, and Vitamins A, C and K, all of which are suggested for women's health. But my mother-in-law doesn't think about that, she just instinctually uses up whatever greens are fresh at the market. And this week she switched polenta with fine ground corn meal which resulted in an even smoother-textured, softer, lighter "pispilit".

Cuisine:
"Albanian"
Source:
"Christina Pinton posted to Suite 101"
S(Formatted by Chupa Babi):
"July 2011"
Yield:
"1 pie (tave)"
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Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 403 Calories; 13g Fat (29.2% calories from fat); 10g Protein; 61g Carbohydrate; 10g Dietary Fiber; 7mg Cholesterol; 370mg Sodium. Exchanges: 3 1/2 Grain(Starch); 1 Vegetable; 0 Non-Fat Milk; 2 1/2 Fat.

Nutr. Assoc. : 3600 27014 0 0 0 0 0 0 0