The hommade Filo was brilliant! i found it much easier to work with actually than store bought, and it tasted so nice, not all crazy flakey off every direction like the store bought. here's the recipe - also, i assembled pie and froze, and baked when i had a party. it worked wonderfully...
Phyllo dough
2 1/2 c unbleached all purpose flour
1/2 t salt
2 T olive oil
1 T red wine vinegar
mix as you would pasta dough - make a well, inc the wet into the dry. when you have a dough, knead until smooth about 10 minutes. cover with plastic and let rest for 1 hour. here, you can also freeze for future use..
divide dough, and roll into approx 2 oz balls. roll each dough til translucent thin, and layer in pie pan, or rectangular pan. you only need 2 layers on bottom and 2 on top, as this dough is much thicker than commercial. Then fill pie with whatever filling you like (or see below, its deelishy) then fold overhanging dough from bottom to enclose pie over the top, and add one sheet over that. at this point, can wrap and freeze, or bake @ 350 for about 45 minutes or until top is nicely browned. (for more detail, saveur magazine issue #24, page 67)...
we had a greek dinner party and served the spinch artichoke pie with lentil soup (below scroll way back) and white bean dip with fresh bread, and a big greek salad.
white bean dip is the greatest if you have guests a coming and nothing prepared. always keep a can of white beans in the pantry.
Method:
toss into food processor
1 can white beans
1 clove garlic
salt and fresh ground pepper
1 -2 T olive oil
2 T fresh lemon juice
(toss in some fresh herbs if you have any (optional though)
bits of thyme parsley or and rosemary all good, about 1 t of each)
Bleeeeend that up. thins with T of water, if needed.
taste, adjust seasoning and scoop into bowl. garnish with chopped up red pepper bits and lemon slices et viola, your guests wil lrave and healthy too!
