Chicken Pie a.k.a Bouroukopita

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Chicken Pie a.k.a bouroukopita or Kreatopita

Ingredients

• 1 Whole chicken
• 5 whole eggs
• 3 garlic cloves
• 1 medium sized onion
• 1 pastry puff (optional) I make my own
• 1 1/2 cup rice ( long grain rice) 
• 1/3 cup of oil

Chicken Pie a.k.a Kotopita is a savory traditional  dish that mom has created over a hundred times. A recipe that has been handed down from generation to generation. On the little island of Mathraki, in the early days, the home culinary chefs were very innovative as they used ingredients  that were handy. The chickens they used, were home grown, I have tasted a pie with home grown chicken, it tastes way better then commercial chickens. I'm so glad that I have had the opportunity to taste real organic recipes, as this has provided me with great experience in defining a real good tasting meal.

This Chicken Pie recipe is great for freezer food. You can make one big pie, like I did or you can make small pies and freeze them for later use, when you are just not in the mood to cook. You can either use a home made crust or you can use a ready made pastry puff. For this particular Chicken Pie recipe  I prefer to make my own crust even though I might spend more time in the kitchen. The result according to my taste buds is just so scrumptious! A creamy filling wrapped in a homemade crust and baked until crisp and golden brown is absolutely heavenly! 

Some people use roasted chicken but the pie will turn out dry, in order to get a succulent taste you need to boil it. Chop up your whole chicken you can disregard wings and neck, or you can freeze them to make a quick chicken broth for soup. Once your chicken is all cut up saute in olive oil in a big pot with garlic and onions, add salt an pepper to taste,  saute for about 10 minutes. Cover with water and boil until chicken is tender and ready for tearing. 

Once it's ready take out of pot with a ladle strainer spoon on a platter. Allow it to cool and then tear it apart and place in another platter. I used my pan it was convenient for me.

Return back to pot add water, rice salt and pepper to taste. Add just enough water to boil, add your  rice, boil until it  becomes tender but make sure it doesn't over boil or it will become too creamy. 

Take off the stove, allow it to cool for about 15 min. Take your eggs beat them with your whisk then add them into the filling. Mix very well, add salt and pepper to taste.

Make your phyllo/ pastry  or buy a ready made pastry puff.

Make sure you butter your pan first. My dough

Once you have rolled out your phyllo, add your filling and then make your crust. Make sure to even out the filling either with a flat spatula or using your hands.

When done beat one whole egg and apply on top of the filling use a brush to spread around your Chicken Pie filling.

Preheat your oven on high for 15 min. Place your pie in oven cook on high for about 10 min. reduce to almost half and bake for another 20 - 30  or until golden brown. Cool and cut into pieces, serve with a nice salad. 

TIP: If you have some filling and dough left over you make some small patties and freeze. I made them and served with fries, my kids enjoyed them so much. 

Roll out your pastry add you filling, roll the sides inward and then roll all the way till you close it. Freeze and cook at your convenience. They can even take the patty to school. 

KALE OREXI!! Another great tasting dish from my kitchen to yours! 

Minced Meat and Leeks Pie

This recipe has been given to me by a very dear and close  friend of mine, I shouldn't say friend,she's more like family to me.  She  has moved to another country with her family and each time I prepare this dish, I recapture all the moments we shared together.  At times my eyes do get watery but I hold back because I know her life is a lot better now .  I thank her and dedicate this post to her.

The ingredients for this dish are :

2 - 3 big leeks

1 pound chop meat

1 medium onion

1 medium tomato

2 garlic cloves

salt and pepper to taste

and if you like ( nutmeg and cloves ) a pinch of each

1 box of pastry puff ( phyllo) ( preferably the thin sheets )  if not use the regular pastry puff

1/3 cup of olive oil

1-2 tablespoons of butter

      

                                                                                                                                                      Once you have chopped up all ingredients you place them in the skillet you add 1/3 cup of olive oil

and saute for about 10 minutes then you add your minced meat add 1/2  a teaspoon of oregano and saute until meat is brown.

When meat is brown cover and cook for about 30 minutes, regular heat.

                                                                                                                                                     It is cooked when it starts to thicken,when ready set aside and let it cool for about 15 min.

Butter your  pan so the pastry puff ( phyllo ) will not stick to the bottom.

   

The phyllo package should have. about 10 -12 sheets of phyllo. You separate them in half the half that you will not use you will cover them with a towel so they will not dry and brake. Each phyllo that you place in your pan you will have to brush each one with butter before you lay one on top of the other.

   

Once you have placed all the phyllo sheets in your pan add the meat. Then cover the pan with the remaining phyllo sheets. In some of your pans the phyllo sheet hangs too much over the pan. Cut it but not too much so you can roll a little bit into a crust as shown above. To create the crust,you turn the phyllo inward and slowly turning the pan and slowly your crust will form. Before placing the pie  in the oven dash some olive oil for color.

Cook for 30 - 45 minutes at 350 Fahrenheit

When you finish with your pie you will have leftover bits of phyllo. This is what I do, I place it in aluminum foil, I add honey, sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon and bake for about 15 minutes and you will have a nice cruncy sweet. My kids,hubby and I go crazy for this quick phyllo sweet. Nothing goes to waste !

Another dish from my table to yours, Kale Orexi !!  If you have any questions feel free to contact me

Pumpkin Pie, my style !!

This is the way I make pumpkin pie and I love it !

My kind of pie !

Ingredients

1 package of phyllo

2 pound pumpkin cleaned and diced

2 pound onions cleaned and diced

1/2 cup of flour

butter for phyllo

salt & pepper to taste

* 1 cup of rice

Once you have diced your pumpkin and your onions you mix them together. Coffee and cooking are great together

diced pumpkin and place in a pot.

Dice your onions

Once you have diced your pumpkin and onions mix them together add flour and mix then add salt and pepper to taste.

Divide your phyllo in half ( as I have explained before ) and place in your pan, never forget to butter your pan and each phyllo sheet separately.

place mixture in pan.

Cover your pie

Bake for 45 min at 356 or 180 Celsius. Enjoy this delicious veggy pie ! :)

If your phyllo overlaps you cut it and use it as a crispy snack. Cover your pie with the remaining phyllo, make your crust and sprinkle with olive oil.