Lemon Curd & Custard Kataifi Tart
Ingredients
160g Kataifi pastry (a bit less than half a packet)
75g melted butter
Lemon Curd
½ cup caster sugar
Zest of 2 lemons
Juice of 1 lemon
3 egg yolks
75g butter, cubed
Vanilla Custard
2 cups full cream milk
2 eggs
2 heaped tbsp. corn flour
1 tbsp sugar (to taste)
1 vanilla bean, seeds
Method
Preheat your oven to 170 deg C.
Place the kataifi in a bowl separating the strands with your fingers to loosen the bundle.
Pour the melted butter over the kataifi working through with your hands to ensure the pastry is evenly coated.
Take small handfuls of the kataifi, laying across the pie dish, stretching out to cover the base and up the sides. Continue with remaining kataifi until the dish is covered.
Bake for 12 mins or until golden brown. Allow the pie base to cool in the pan for 5 mins before carefully placing on a wire rack to cool completely.
Fill the kataifi pie base with the cooled custard, followed by the lemon curd and top with fresh raspberries or fresh fruit of your choice. Serve immediately.
For the lemon curd
Place the sugar, lemon juice, zest and egg yolks in a bowl over a heavy-based saucepan filled with a little water on medium heat.
Whisk constantly for 10 to 15 minutes, or until mixture begins to thicken and coats the back of the spoon.
Remove from the heat and gradually whisk in butter until combined. Cover surface with cling wrap and place in the fridge for 2 hours or until chilled.
For the vanilla custard
Heat the eggs, milk, sugar, corn flour and vanilla in a heavy saucepan over medium heat.
Stir continuously until the custard begins to thicken and coats the back of the spoon.
Leave the custard to cool completely before pouring into the cooled tart case.
Kataifi Prawns
Ingredients
Makes 20 prawns
1kg extra large green prawns (about 20), heads removed, peeled, deveined, tails intact
200g Antoniou Kataifi Pastry
100g butter, melted
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
Lemon wedges
Method
1. Start the recipe by preheating your oven to 200 deg C and line a baking tray with baking paper
2. Peel and devein prawns, leaving tails intact.
3. Place the kataifi pastry in a bowl and loosen until strands are separated.
4. Pour the butter over the kataifi, gently massaging into the pastry, ensuring all the strands are evenly coated.
5. Tear a small handful of kataifi, (approx. 10g) away from the bundle and lay in a long strip on the bench.
6. Dip a prawn into the egg mixture, then place at the base of the kataifi strip.
7. Proceed to roll the prawn away from you, wrapping the kataifi around tightly. 8. Repeat with the remaining prawns and bake for 15-20 minutes until golden.
9. Garnish with a sprinkling of parsley and fresh lemon wedges. Also try serving with a spicy mayo or chopped fresh coriander and freshly squeezed lime.
Note:
Kataifi prawns are just as delicious deep fried. Follow the same preparation method for the prawns, skipping steps 4 & 6, then simply deep-fry in any vegetable oil.
Chocolate Kataifi Jam Sandwiches
Ingredients
375g Antoniou Kataifi pastry
100g butter melted
250g raspberry jam
800g dark chocolate melts
1 tbsp vegetable oil
Method
Preheat your oven to 200oC and line a large tray with baking paper.
Pour the melted butter through the kataifi until well combined. Using a 10cm cookie cutter as your guide place 20 grams of the kataifi in the mould and squash down to form a disc. Repeat with the remaining kataifi until you have 18 discs.
Cook in the oven for 10 mins or until golden brown. Allow to cool completely before using.
Melt the chocolate in the microwave until completely smooth and add the vegetable oil. Stir well and set aside.
To make the sandwiches, add a heaped tablespoon of raspberry jam to one disc and spread evenly. Top with another disc and dip in the melted chocolate ensuring it is evenly covered. Place on a tray lined with baking paper and repeat with the remainder of the ingredients until you have 9 sandwiches.
Serve topped with fresh raspberries.
Mini Fillo Chicken Pastilla
Ingredients
Makes 8 Pastilla's
2 tbsp olive oil
1 red onion, finely chopped
1 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cardamon
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp ground ginger
4 skinless chicken thighs, sliced into thin strips
1 tbsp plain flour
250ml chicken stock
salt and pepper to season
1 tbsp honey
75g almond meal
100g dried apricots, chopped
2 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
1 packet Antoniou Fillo Pastry
150g butter, melted
1 egg, lightly beaten
icing sugar for dusting
Method
Before you begin this recipe, take your fresh Fillo Pastry out of the fridge and allow it to come up to room temperature in its packaging.
Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan on medium heat, add the garlic and onion and cook for 5 mins. until translucent. Add the cinnamon, cardamon, turmeric and ginger. Stir for 1 min until aromatic, then add the chicken strips and flour.
Stir well ensuring the chicken is coated and then add the chicken stock. Bring the mixture to a boil then lower the heat and allow the mixture to simmer for 45 mins.
Add the honey, almond meal, apricots and parsley. Stir and allow the mixture to cook for another 20 mins on a medium/high heat. The mixture should be quite thick. Allow to cool completely before using.
Note: You can make the mixture a day ahead and use the following day. The flavours are a lot more pronounced.
Preheat your oven to 180 deg C and line a tray with baking paper.
On a clean bench lay one sheet of Fillo Pastry with the longer edge facing you and brush liberally with melted butter. Repeat this process with 2 more sheets until you have a stack of 3 sheets.
Cut the stack of Fillo Pastry in half to make two large squares. In the centre of the square place a heaped tablespoon of the chicken mixture. Wrap the pastry up into a neat parcel around the filling, twisting slightly (resembling a small “money bag”).
Tuck the excess fillo from the top of the parcel back under the pastilla and brush well with beaten egg to hold it together. Brush liberally with butter and repeat with the remaining chicken mixture and Fillo until you have 8 pastillas
Bake in the oven for 20 mins or until golden brown and allow to cool for 10 mins. before dusting with icing sugar.
Nut & Cacao Cigars
Ingredients
Makes 15 cigars
3 cups shelled walnuts
2 cups shelled pistachios
8 dates
1 orange, zest & juice
4 tbsp coconut oil
1 tbsp ground cardamon
2 tbsp raw cacao powder
12 sheets Antoniou Fillo Pastry
100g butter, melted
1/4 cup walnuts, lightly crushed for garnish
Method
Preheat your oven to 180 deg C and line a baking tray with baking paper.
Remove seeds from the dates & soak in boiling water for 5mins to soften.
Combine the walnuts, pistachios, dates, orange juice and zest, coconut oil, cardamon, and raw cacao powder in a food processor. Process the mixture until it forms a thick, pliable paste and then set aside.
Take a sheet of fillo and lay it on a clean bench with the longer edge facing you and brush liberally with butter. Repeat with 3 more sheets and stack neatly on top of one another (you will need 4 sheets in total).
Spoon 5-6 tablespoons of the nut paste in a single line all the way to the outside edges and 5cm from the bottom edge. Roll the fillo tightly over the nut paste all the way to the end of the sheet, to form one long cigar. Then cut the cigar into 5 portions (each should measure approx. 9 cms). Repeat with the remainder of the fillo and filling until you have 15 cigars.
Brush each cigar with butter and bake for 20-25 mins or until golden brown. Garnish with crushed walnuts and serve with coffee.
Chicken, Leek & Pea Fillo Pies
Ingredients
Recipe makes 6 pies
3 tbsp olive oil
750g chicken thigh fillets, cut into 2-3cm pieces
25g butter
2 leeks, cut into even chunks
200g mushrooms, sliced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tbsp Dijon mustard
3 tbsp plain flour
375ml chicken stock
80ml sour cream
salt and pepper to taste
125g frozen peas
18 sheets Antoniou Fillo Pastry
100g melted butter
Method
Heat the olive oil in a large pot over a medium high heat. Add the chicken pieces and fry until cooked through (approx. 5 minutes). Remove from the pot, transfer to a plate and set aside.
Add the butter to the same pot along with the leeks, mushrooms and garlic. Cook for 5 minutes until the leek softens. Add the mustard, flour, stock, sour cream and chicken. Give everything a good stir and allow the sauce to cook for 15 minutes until it thickens. Fold in the frozen peas, remove from the heat and set aside.
Divide the mixture between six 375ml ramekin or pie dishes and preheat your oven to 180 degrees Celsius.
Lay out a sheet of fillo on a clean bench with the longer side facing you and brush generously with melted butter. Roughly scrunch the fillo together to form one long “snake” and gently roll it up to form a coil shape. Place the fillo coil on top of the pie and repeat until all pies are covered. (Each pie should fit 3 fillo coils).
Place the pies on a baking dish, brush with any extra remaining butter and bake for 20 mins until the fillo is golden brown. Allow to cool for 5 minutes before serving.
Mini Kataifi Tarts with Chocolate, Nuts & Dates
Ingredients
Sugar syrup
170g caster sugar
200ml cold water
1 tsp lemon juice
Filling
4 dates, seeds removed
50g shelled walnuts
25g shelled pistachios
60g dark chocolate (minimum 70%)
1 tsp ground cinnamon
pinch of ground cardamom
zest of half an orange
Kataifi
1 x 375g pack of Antoniou Kataifi
175g butter, melted
Method
To make the sugar syrup place the sugar, water and lemon juice in a saucepan over a medium high heat and bring the mixture to the boil. Once it boils allow the syrup to simmer for 10 minutes until slightly reduced and “sticky”. Remove from the heat and set aside.
To make the filling place all the ingredients in a food processor and mix until it resembles a paste. Set the mixture aside until ready to assemble the tarts.
Place the kataifi into a large bowl. Using your hands, untangle and shred the pastry to form smaller strands. Pour the butter over the kataifi and mix well.
To assemble the mini kataifi tarts, begin by taking small amounts of the buttered kataifi, pressing into each pan of a 12 pan mini muffin tin. Pack tightly to form a small cup and then fill each cup with a teaspoon of the chocolate nut mixture. Add more kataifi to each pan to cover the filling and pat down gently.
Repeat until each tart is complete and bake in a pre heated oven at 180 degrees Celsius, for 12-15 minutes until golden brown.
Remove each tart from the pan and immediately spoon over the cooled syrup. Allow to cool and garnish with chopped pistachios and a little grated dark chocolate.
Repeat this process two more times until you have 36 mini kataifi tarts.
Three Cheese Torte
Baked Fetta Cigars
Ham & Cheese Kataifi Pie
Ingredients
375g kataifi pastry
250g butter, melted
1 cup grated mozzarella cheese
2 cups grated cheddar cheese
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
6 slices of thickly cut ham
3 tsp Dijon mustard
425ml milk
3 eggs
Method
Preheat your oven to 180 deg C and grease and line a 28 cm baking dish with baking paper.
Place the kataifi in a large bowl and and pour over 200g of the butter. Mix well ensuring each strand is coated well. Place half the kataifi at the base of the baking dish.
Combine the cheeses in a separate bowl and spread 1.5 cups of the mixed cheeses on top of the pie base. Lay the ham over the cheese ensuring it overlaps. Spread the mustard over the ham and top with another 1.5 cups of mixed cheeses. Top with the remaining kataifi to cover the pie.
Whisk the eggs along with the milk and remaining 50g of butter. Pour over the pie making sure it is fully absorbed.
Top with the remaining 1 cup of cheese and bake for 45 -50 mins until golden. Allow top cool for half an hour before slicing into desired sizes.
Recipe, styling and photography by Souvlaki for the Soul
Leek and Feta Roulade
Ingredients
2 tbsp olive oil
4 large leeks, cleaned and thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
50g pine nuts
Salt and pepper to season
200g feta cheese, crumbled
1 tbsp parsley, finely chopped
12 sheets Antoniou Fillo Pastry
Olive oil spray
1 egg lightly beaten
Sesame seeds for garnish
Method
Preheat your oven to 190 deg C and line a baking tray with baking paper.
Heat the olive oil in a pan and fry the leeks, garlic and pine nuts on a medium heat for 5-6 minutes until soft and translucent. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and allow to cool. Season with salt and pepper, add the parsley and crumbled feta and mix well. Set aside.
Lay one sheet of pastry with the shorter edge facing you and spray with olive oil. Repeat this process with 3 more sheets until you have a stack of 4 sheets .
Spread half the leek mixture over the fillo stack ensuring it covers the whole stack. Spray another 4 sheets of fillo to make a stack and place this on top of the leeks. Add the remaining leek mixture and top again with another 4 sheets of fillo sprayed with olive oil.
Gently roll up from the short side and place on a baking tray, seam side down. Brush with beaten egg and top with sesame seeds. Cook for 25 minutes or until golden. Allow to cool for 15 mins before slicing and serving.
Recipe, styling and photography by Souvlaki for the Soul for Antoniou Fillo Pastry
Traditional Spinach and Cheese Pie
Ingredients
375g Antoniou Fillo Pastry
375g fetta cheese
1 bunch spinach
1 bunch shallots
2 medium onions
4 eggs
1/2 cup oil
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
melted butter
Method
Remove stalks from spinach, wash and drain until completely dry. Cut spinach into small pieces and add chopped onions, shallots and diced fetta. Beat eggs, salt, pepper and oil in a separate bowl and then pour over the spinach mixture. Mix well until combined.
Layer half the fillo pastry in a medium sized pie plate or baking tray, buttering every second sheet with melted butter. Place the mixture on top of the layered pastry and fold in any overhanging ends. Repeat the layering process with the remaining fillo pastry, tucking in the top sheets to neaten off. Brush the top with melted butter and bake in a preheated moderate oven for around 45minutes or until golden brown.
Traditional Baklava
Crema Kataifi
Kreatopita
Ingredients
serves 8
2 tbsp olive oil
2 leeks, cleaned thoroughly and thinly sliced
350g beef mince
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground allspice
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 cup chicken stock
150g white rice
salt and pepper to season
2 tbsp pomegranate molasses
12 sheets Antoniou Fillo Pastry
olive oil spray
1 egg, lightly beaten
Method
Heat the olive oil on a medium heat and fry the leeks until soft and translucent (approx. 5 mins). Add the beef mince, cinnamon, allspice, tomato paste and rice and stir until well combined. Add the chicken stock, allow the mixture to come to a boil and simmer on a medium heat until the rice has absorbed the stock and is cooked. Set aside and allow to cool. Once cooled stir through the pomegranate molasses.
Preheat your oven to 180 deg C and line a tray with baking paper.
Take one sheet of fillo pastry ensuring the long edge is facing you and spray with olive oil. Repeat until you have six layers. Place half the meat mixture along the longer edge allowing a 5cm border along front and side edges. Fold sides over filling, then roll up to enclose mixture. Brush the seams with a little egg to ensure it is closed.
Lay the roll seam side down on a lined baking tray and spray with extra olive oil. Repeat with the remaining fillo and meat and bake for 20-25 mins until golden and allow to cool for 10 mins before cutting and serving.
Recipe, styling and photography by Souvlaki for the Soul for Antoniou Fillo Pastry
Kataifi Cannoli Cones
Ingredients
makes 12
for the cones
200 grams Antoniou Kataifi pastry
75 grams melted butter
12cm cream horn moulds
for the filling
3 cups fresh ricotta
½ cup pure icing sugar
zest ½ orange
1 tbsp vanilla extract
Method
Preheat your oven to 180 deg C and line a large tray with baking paper.
To make the filling add the ricotta, icing sugar, orange zest and vanilla in a mixing bowl and beat until light and fluffy (approx. 5 mins). Place in the fridge whilst you make your kataifi cones.
Lay out the kataifi on a bench and take a heaped strand measuring approx. 30 cm. Starting from the tip of the cone, proceed to wrap the pastry around the cone ensuring a tight fit. Repeat with the remaining cones and brush each one with butter.
Cook for 20 mins until golden brown and allow to cool completely (with the cone on) once out of the oven.
Take the ricotta cream out of the fridge, spoon into piping bag and pipe into each individual cone.
Serve with tea or coffee.
Middle Eastern Lamb Parcels
Ingredients
makes 6
2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion finely diced
2 cloves garlic
500g lamb mince
Salt and pepper
2 tbsp pomegranate molasses
1 tsp ground cumin
½ tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp sumac
100g (approx. 4 cups) shredded kale or spinach
100g feta crumbled
6 sheets Antoniou Fillo pastry
olive oil spray
Recipe Tips
Pie tins
We used 6 pie tins measure 12.5cm in diameter for this recipe.
Olive oil spray or Olive oil
Both olive oil spray and brushed on olive work well for this recipe, the choice is yours.
Method
Before you begin this Fillo Pastry recipe, take your fresh Fillo Pastry out of the fridge to bring it up to room temperature in its packaging.
Preheat your oven to 220 deg C and line a baking tray with baking paper.
In a large pot or pan heat the olive oil on a medium heat and sauté the onion and garlic until softened.
Add the lamb mince and break up the mixture with a wooden spoon. Allow it to brown and then add your salt, pepper, molasses, cumin, cinnamon and sumac. Cook for 10-15 mins on a simmer and then add the shredded kale. Stir the kale until wilted and remove from the heat. Allow the mixture to cool completely before mixing through the crumbled feta cheese.
To make the parcels, spray pie tins with olive oil spray (or brush with olive oil) and set aside. Take one sheet of Fillo Pastry, spray with olive oil and lay another Fillo sheet on top. Cut into four even squares and then stack two squares on top of one another in the pie tin to form a star shape. Repeat with remaining two squares.
In the centre of the stacked fillo squares add 2-3 tablespoons of the cooked lamb mixture and wrap up into a neat parcel (resembling a small “money bag” or purse).
Spray each parcel with olive oil and repeat to make 4 more parcels. Place the pie tins on a baking tray and cook for 15-20 mins or until golden.
Allow to cool for 10 mins before serving with baba ganoush or hummus.
Spinach & Herb Pan Pittes
Ingredients
makes 5
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 leek, thinly sliced
- 250g washed spinach leaves, stems removed and roughly chopped
- 150g baby endive, roughly chopped
- 3 tbsp chopped parsley
- 1 tbsp chopped mint
- 1 tbsp chopped dill
- salt and pepper to season
- 10 sheets Antoniou Fillo pastry
- olive oil spray
Method
Heat the olive oil in a pan and fry the leek on a medium heat until soft and translucent for 5 mins. Add the spinach and baby endive and fold through until just wilted.
Fold through the herbs and seasoning and remove from the heat. Drain any excess liquid from cooking the greens and set aside.
To make each individual pita, take two sheets of fillo and shape into a cross. Spray liberally with olive oil and spread 3 tbsp of the cooked spinach mixture into the centre where the fillo meets.
Fold the fillo over to form a rough circle shape and flatten the pita using a rolling pin. Spray with more olive oil and cook in a fry pan on a medium heat for 1-2 mins each side until golden and puffy.
Repeat with the remaining fillo and spinach until you end up with 5 pittes. Serve immediately.
Kataifi Nut Slice
Ingredients
- 50g pine nuts
- 100g walnuts
- 100g pistachios
- 50g almonds
- 100g dried cherries or finely chopped dates
- 1 tbsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground cloves
- 75g sugar
- 75g softened butter
- 200g Antoniou Kataifi pastry
- 75g melted butter
- fresh cherries to garnish
For the syrup
- 1/2 cup honey, warmed
- 1 tsp orange blossom water
Method
Combine the pine nuts, walnuts, pistachios and almonds in a pan on a medium heat and dry fry the nuts for 5 mins until toasted. Place the toasted nuts in a bowl and add the cherries or dates, ground cinnamon and cloves, sugar and softened butter, Mix thoroughly and set aside.
Add the melted butter to the kataifi strands ensuring it is well coated.
Preheat your oven to 180 deg C and brush and line a 1.25L loaf pan.
Spread 50g of the kataifi strands in the base of the loaf pan then spread over a quarter of the nut mixture. Repeat with kataifi and nuts to form 3 layers, finishing with a final layer of kataifi.
Bake in the oven for 25-30 mins. until golden. Allow to cool in the pan for ten minutes before inverting. Warm the honey over a medium heat for a few minutes combined with the orange blossom water and then drizzle over kataifi. Garnish with fresh cherries for a festive touch.