Ingredients For A Fabulous Life
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Crispy phyllo surrounds a tangy and deeply flavorful filling of feta, broccoli rabe and sweet sauteed shallots. Topped with sesame seeds, these Cheese & Broccoli Rabe Bourekas are a fabulous party nibble!
CHEESE AND BROCCOLI RABE BOUREKAS
Bourekas are a delicious Middle Eastern version of a hand pie. These stuffed pastries are popular in Israel and throughout the Middle East. And my Cheese and Broccoli Rabe Bourekas are one of my favorite flavor combinations!
Through a complicated history originating in central Asia with the Turks, and ending with the Sephardic Jews, bourekas were born. They’re really a meshing of an empanada and a layered pastry known as a börek. Hence the merging of their names, börek + empanada = boureka. Cool, huh?
They’re usually made with either puff pastry or phyllo dough, and make fabulous appetizers or a side dish with soup. Bourekas are also fabulous holiday hostess helpers. They freeze well, which means you can make them ahead and pop them in the oven when guests arrive.
WHAT KIND OF CHEESE SHOULD YOU USE?
You’ll want to use a lovely Israeli Kashkaval cheese in these Cheese and Broccoli Rabe Bourekas if you can find it. I special ordered mine from Amazon because I live in the boonies. It’s really creamy and has a slightly sweet tang that’s perfect for my Cheese and Broccoli Rabe Bourekas.
But because I like to tone down the sharpness of the kashkaval, you’ll add some ricotta cheese too. It also helps give the whole filling a creamier texture overall.
Don’t buy the pre-crumbled variety of kashkaval — a block is better, and it’s easy to crumble yourself. If you can’t find kashkaval cheese, substitute feta cheese. They’ll still be just as fabulous!
HOW TO FOLD A PHYLLO DOUGH BOUREKA
- Lay 1 phyllo sheet on work surface with long side closest to you; brush phyllo with oil
- Top with second phyllo sheet, and brush with oil
- Cut phyllo sheets lengthwise into 4 long strips; place 1 1/2 tsp. filling on bottom of first phyllo strip
- Fold one bottom corner of strip over filling to make a triangle
- Continue folding phyllo strip over filling (like a flag) until filling is encased in phyllo
- Brush top with oil, and transfer to prepared baking sheet
- Repeat with remaining phyllo, oil, and filling; sprinkle bourekas with sesame seeds
YOU’LL FIND THE RECIPE FOR CHEESE & BROCCOLI RABE BOUREKAS AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS POST.
HANUKKAH – THE LIFESTYLE DIVA WAY
How would you like to plan a fabulous and stress-free Hanukkah this year?
My Hanukkah Holiday Planner PDF will take you through all the planning necessary for a stressless Hanukkah week. From baking to gift-giving, I’ve got you covered every which way but loose!
Just like those Ronco commercials we love to hate, I’ve got one more thing to help you celebrate a fabulous Hanukkah.
How about celebrating Hanukkah this year with a set of Hanukkah
Celebration Countdown Treat Bags?
They’re kind of like a Jewish version of an Advent calendar used for Christmas.
I’ve created two different designs, one with menorahs lit with the night’s number of candles, and the other using numbers.
Won’t these Hanukkah Celebration Countdown Treat Bags make your Hanukkah a little more festive? You bet they will!
Keep reading, so you can find out how to get your set of Hanukkah Celebration Countdown Treat Bag Stickers and Hanukah Holiday Planner!
MIDDLE EASTERN HANUKKAH CELEBRATION FEAST
If you’re like me, I enjoy “mixing it up” a little during Hanukkah week. Why not serve a Middle Eastern Hanukkah Celebration Feast for one of your nightly celebratory meals?
This delicious menu features 6 different Middle Eastern treats that combine to make a fabulous Hanukkah buffet.
And what will be on the menu for your Middle Eastern Feast?
- Cheese and Broccoli Rabe Bourekas in phyllo
- Potato Saffron Bourekas in puff pastry
- Fried Halloumi (Israeli fried cheese appetizer)
- No Yeast Cilantro Oil Flatbreads
- Moroccan Zaalouk Dip (eggplant & tomato relish)
- Turkish Muhammara Dip with Cilantro Oil(roasted red peppers, walnuts and pomegranate molasses)
CLICK HERE TO GET ALL THE RECIPE FOR THESE FABULOUS DISHES: MIDDLE EASTERN HANUKKAH CELEBRATION FEAST
HANUKKAH HOLIDAY PLANNER PDF
Since we celebrate Hanukkah eight nights in a row, that’s a lot of meals to plan ahead of time! And you definitely don’t want to get bored of the food during such a fun and festive holiday, right?
So do yourself a favor and plan trying some fabulous Middle Eastern fare during the long anticipated week of Hanukkah!
I just mentioned how much planning it takes to celebrate an 8 day holiday. And being a self-proclaimed lifestyle diva, I would be remiss if I didn’t offer to help!
I’ve created a fabulous Hanukkah Holiday Planner PDF that will help you with all the planning necessary for a stress-free Hanukkah.
Not only is it chock-full of planning sheets, it also has four pages dedicated to the religious portion of Hanukkah’s celebration. I’ve even included the rules for playing a rousing game of Dreidel!
CLICK HERE TO FIND OUT HOW TO GET YOUR FREE HANUKKAH HOLIDAY PLANNER: Hanukkah Holiday Planner and Gourmet Latkes
8 NIGHTS OF HANUKKAH TREAT BAG PDF
Want your own set of 8 NIGHTS OF HANUKKAH COUNTDOWN TREAT BAG STICKERS, but you’re not on our list yet?
Why not join in on the fun! IFAFL Subscribers have exclusive access to the Ingredients For A Fabulous Life Resource Library of printables!
Fill out the form below and I’ll send you a copy as a thank you for joining the IFAFL Email Subscriber List.
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There’s always something fabulous happening here at Ingredients For A Fabulous Life, don’t you want to stay in the loop?
And while you’re at it, come join the gang in our Facebook group and get in on the gabfest at, The Fab Life! That’s where we show off our triumphs and share our pursuit of “the good life” with each other all week long.
Cheese & Broccoli Rabe Bourekas
Ingredients
- 1 bunch broccoli rabe, trimmed
- 1/2 cup shallots, diced
- 2 tsp. chopped garlic
- 1 Tbsp. unsalted butter
- Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper
- 1 cup kashkaval (Israeli cheese) or feta cheese (from a block, not crumbled)
- 1/3 cup ricotta cheese
- 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1 pkg. phyllo dough, thawed per manufacturer's instructions
- Extra virgin olive oil for brushing phyllo
- Sesame seeds
Instructions
- Bring a medium pan of salted water to a boil, drop in trimmed broccoli rabe and cook until just tender, about 6 minutes. Drain, let cool and chop into small pieces.
- Place a medium skillet over medium heat and add butter. When butter is melted, add the shallots. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add garlic and cook for one more minute. Add chopped broccoli rabe, salt and pepper. Cook and stir for 3 minutes, then remove from heat and let cool.
- In a medium bowl, add the cheeses, salt, pepper and egg. Stir to combine. Add cooked broccoli mixture and stir again to incorporate the vegetables.
- Place the unwrapped phyllo dough under a dampened kitchen towel while working.
- Preheat oven to 350˚F, and coat 2 baking sheets with cooking spray.
- Lay 1 phyllo sheet on work surface with long side closest to you; brush phyllo with oil. Top with second phyllo sheet, and brush with oil. Cut phyllo sheets lengthwise into 4 long strips. Place 1 1/2 tsp. filling on bottom of first phyllo strip. Fold one bottom corner of strip over filling to make a triangle. Continue folding phyllo strip over filling (like a flag) until filling is encased in phyllo. Brush top with oil, and transfer to prepared baking sheet. Repeat with remaining phyllo, oil, and filling; sprinkle bourekas with sesame seeds.
- Bake 15 to 18 minutes, or until triangles are crispy and golden-brown. Cool 5 minutes before serving.
Nutrition Information
Yield 12 Serving Size 1Amount Per Serving Calories 94Total Fat 7gSaturated Fat 3gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 3gCholesterol 31mgSodium 286mgCarbohydrates 4gFiber 1gSugar 1gProtein 4g
Nutritional information should be considered an estimate only; please consult a registered dietician, nutritionist, or your physician for specific health-related questions. Please note that the recipe above is published using a recipe card plugin, with preexisting software which can auto-calculate metric measurements, as well as change the number of servings. Metric conversions and changes to the number of servings (resulting in different ingredient amounts) will only appear in the ingredient list, and are not changed within the step-by-step directions of the recipe.
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