Real African Dishes: [MC-AllEthnic-Recipes] Mrs. Bezjian's Swiss Chard and Tahini Bureks - Armenian Turnovers ; 15g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber

* Exported from MasterCook *

Mrs. Bezjian's Swiss Chard and Tahini Bureks - Armenian Turnovers

Recipe By :
Serving Size : 24 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : LowCal (Less than 300 cals) LowerCarbs

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
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1 pound All-Purpose Pie Dough with Yeast -- (below) half recipe
Filling:
1 pound Swiss chard leaves -- shredded (8 cups)
coarse sea salt
1 pound onions -- chopped (4 cups)
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/4 cups finely chopped walnuts -- (4 ounces)
1/4 cup tomato paste
1 cup chopped parsley
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1 teaspoon garlic -- peeled and crushed with salt
1 cup tahini -- sesame seed butter
1 egg -- lightly beaten, for glazing the bureks
3 tablespoons sesame seeds

In a large bowl, toss the Swiss chard with 2 tablespoons salt; let stand for at least 30 minutes. In a separate bowl, sprinkle the onions with another 2 tablespoons salt and let stand 30 minutes.

Dump the Swiss chard into a colander and set under running water to wash away all the salt; drain and squeeze out all moisture until dry. Repeat with the onions.

In a 10-inch skillet, heat the olive oil, add the onions, and cook, covered, 3 minutes. Add the Swiss chard and saute another 2 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat. Add the remaining ingredients except the tahini, blending well. When the mixture is cool, fold in the tahini. Adjust the seasoning with more pepper and lemon juice if needed. Makes 1 quart filling.

Preheat the oven to 350F.

Divide the prepared dough into 4 equal parts. Cover 3 parts with a towel. On a lightly floured work surface, divide the remaining ball of dough into 6 equal small balls of dough. Flour the first flattened round and roll out to an even, thin 5 or 6-inch round. Place about 2 tablespoons of the filling over half the round and fold the other half over to form a half moon. Seal the edges by crimping with the tines of a fork. Repeat with the remaining rounds. Dust off excess flour, then set on lightly greased baking sheets. Lightly prick the top of each burek with a fork. Brush all with the beaten egg and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes. Cool on a rack.

Makes 24 bureks

AuthorNote: Beurek, or borek, as it is called in Turkey, is an umbrella term for many kinds of dough: phyllo, piecrust, yeast, and noodle dough. Popular fillings are cheese, meat, poultry, and all sorts of vegetables. Beureks can be baked, steamed, fried, or cooked over a saj (Turkish grill).

This savory beurek is my adaptation of a recipe in Mr. Alice Bezjian's "The Complete Armenian Cookbook", one of my favorite books on eastern Mediterranean cooking. Mrs. Bezjian is the only other author I know who writes about the food of Aleppo and Gaziantep. These pies are wonderfully versatile; serve them warm or at room temperature, as a lunch dish, snack, or part of a large buffet.

All-Purpose Pie Dough with Yeast
2 1/2 teaspoons active yeast, 1 package
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/4 cup warm water, for the yeast
1 pound all-purpose flour, (about 3 3/4 cups) with a high-gluten content, plus more for kneading the dough
1 1/2 teaspoons fine sea salt
1 1/8 cups warm water, for the dough
6 tablespoons olive oil
To roll out dough: coarse cornmeal, bran, or fine-grain bulgur

1. In the bowl of a food processor, combine the yeast, sugar, and 1/4 cup warm water. Pulse to blend. Cover and let stand until bubbly, about 5 minutes.
2. Add the flour and salt and pulse to combine. With the machine running, add 1 1/8 cups water and the oil and process until a soft, tacky dough forms, about 20 seconds. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured board and knead it by hand 1 to 2 minutes. Form it into a ball and place it in a deep bowl; lightly brush with oil, cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, 2 to 3 hours.
3. Return the dough to a lightly floured board and knead it again, 1 minute. Form the dough into 2 even balls and use as directed in recipes. If desire, wrap and freeze for use at some other time.

Makes about 2 pounds dough.

This pie dough, made with yeast and enriched with good, flavorful olive oil, is used to make the ... savory pies... .
Two notes on the preparation of this dough; I make it in a food processor not only to cut work time but also because I believe this method produces the best result. Whenever I make this dough, I put aside half to freeze for another time.

Source:
"Cooking of the Eastern Mediterranean by Paula Wolfert, 1994"
S(Formatted by Chupa Babi):
"Sept 2011"
Yield:
"24 turnover"
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Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 224 Calories; 17g Fat (65.9% calories from fat); 5g Protein; 15g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 9mg Cholesterol; 181mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1 Grain(Starch); 1/2 Lean Meat; 1/2 Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 3 Fat.

Nutr. Assoc. : 4474 0 0 0 0 0 5471 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0