Pies with salad, wild garlic, and feta cheese

Name: Pies with salad, wild garlic, and feta cheese - Petronela H.
Ingredients: For the dough: 300 ml warm water; 100 ml buttermilk; 1 teaspoon salt; 1 tablespoon sugar; 2; 3 tablespoons olive oil; 650 g flour; 1 packet of dry yeast. For the filling: 1 lettuce; 1 bunch of wild garlic; a pinch of salt; 150; 200 g feta cheese; oil for frying.

Appetizers - Pies with salad, wild garlic, and feta cheese by Petronela H. - Recipia

The pies with lettuce, wild garlic, and feta cheese are a simple alternative to the fried bread dough. I made them when I didn't have cabbage on hand and used green lettuce, wild garlic, and feta instead. The filling is quick to prepare, and the dough doesn't require a long rising time. It's important to fry the pies on low heat, as the dough is slightly thicker and needs to cook well inside. Quick Info Total time: about 1 hour and 30 minutes, depending on the kneading time of the bread machine and your pace Preparation time: about 30-40 minutes, including preparing the filling and shaping the pies Cooking time: about 10 minutes for each pie, 5 minutes on each side Servings: 7 large pies Difficulty: easy to medium Recipe type: savory fried pies with a filling of lettuce, wild garlic, and feta cheese Ingredients For the dough 300 ml lukewarm water 100 ml buttermilk 1 teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon sugar 2-3 tablespoons olive oil 650 g flour 1 packet of dry yeast For the filling 1 head of lettuce 1 bunch of wild garlic A pinch of salt 150-200 g feta cheese For frying Oil, about 3 tablespoons to start, then an additional 1-2 tablespoons after each pie, as needed Preparation method 1. Prepare the dough Place the ingredients for the dough in the bread machine in the order listed above: lukewarm water, buttermilk, salt, sugar, olive oil, flour, and dry yeast. Start the kneading program and let the machine prepare the dough. Once kneading is complete, remove the dough or leave it in the machine’s bowl and let it rise in a warm place for about 20 minutes. There’s no need for a long rising time. The dough should be relaxed and slightly risen so it can be rolled out without immediately shrinking back. 2. Prepare the filling Separate the lettuce and wild garlic, wash them well, and let them drain of excess water. It’s important that they are not wet, as excess water can make the dough too soggy during the pie formation. Cut the lettuce and wild garlic into thin strips. Place them in a bowl, sprinkle a pinch of salt, and let them sit for about 5 minutes. The leaves will soften slightly and will be easier to use as filling. The feta cheese should not be mixed in with the lettuce and wild garlic from the beginning. It should be crumbled into pieces and added directly to the filling when you shape each pie. 3. Divide the dough After rising, divide the dough into roughly equal pieces. This amount will yield 7 larger pies. Take a piece of dough and work on a lightly floured surface. Roll out the dough with a rolling pin so that you can place a generous amount of filling in the center. 4. Fill and shape the pies Place a mound of lettuce and wild garlic in the center of the dough. On top, add pieces of feta cheese, using a total of 150-200 g for all the pies, depending on how strong you want the cheese flavor to be. Bring the edges of the dough towards the center and press them to seal the filling. Flatten the pie first with your hands, then gently roll over it with the rolling pin. Don’t press too hard, or the filling may spill out, and the dough may tear. The pie should remain thick enough to hold the filling, but not so thick that it remains raw in the center. 5. Fry the pies In a skillet, add about 3 tablespoons of oil and let it heat up. Place one pie in the skillet and fry it on low heat for about 5 minutes on the first side. Carefully flip it and let it cook for another 5 minutes on the other side. After each pie, add 1-2 tablespoons of oil to the skillet if needed. The amount of oil may vary depending on the skillet and how much the dough absorbs. Don’t rush the frying. The dough is a bread dough, and the pies are thicker than a thin sheet, so they need time on low heat to cook through. If the heat is too high, the outside may brown quickly while the inside remains doughy and uncooked. You can place a lid over the skillet during frying. This helps retain heat and cooks the pie more evenly without needing to increase the flame. Remove the pies as they are done and continue until all are fried. Why I make this recipe often I love this recipe because it uses simple ingredients and can be easily adapted based on what I have in the fridge. The lettuce and wild garlic create a light filling, while the feta adds enough salt and flavor without needing additional spices. It’s also a good solution when I don’t have cabbage for pies. Plus, the 7 pies are filling and can be served warm or after cooling slightly. Tips Use lukewarm water, not hot, for the dough. Water that is too hot can affect the yeast. Let the lettuce and wild garlic sit for a few minutes with salt before adding them to the dough. There’s no need to cook them separately. Drain the greens well after washing. The wetter the filling, the harder it will be to close the pies without tearing. Fry on low heat and don’t try to finish faster by increasing the temperature. The 5 minutes on each side are important for cooking the dough. If the pie puffs up in the skillet, you can gently press it down with a spatula without piercing or flattening it. Substitutions In this version, the lettuce replaces the cabbage, and wild garlic is added for flavor. If you don’t have wild garlic, the recipe won’t have the same aroma, but the source of the recipe does not indicate a substitute for it. Feta cheese can be used in amounts ranging from 150 to 200 g, depending on how salty and rich you want the filling to be. There’s no need to add extra salt to the feta unless you find the filling insufficiently salty. Variations You can make the pies larger or smaller by dividing the dough into more or fewer pieces. If you make them smaller, check the frying and flip them when the bottom is browned. The amount of feta can be adjusted within the indicated limits. With 150 g, the flavor of the greens remains more evident; with 200 g, the cheese is more pronounced. Serving ideas The pies are served with a cup of milk or alongside yogurt. They are good while still slightly warm but can also be eaten after cooling. Frequently asked questions How long should the dough be left to rise? In the basic recipe, the dough is left for about 20 minutes in a warm place after being kneaded in the bread machine. No longer rising time is mentioned. Why should the pies be fried on low heat? The dough is a bread dough and is rolled out thicker than a thin sheet. On high heat, it can brown too quickly on the outside while the center remains doughy and uncooked. Can I put a lid over the skillet? Yes. The lid helps retain heat in the skillet and promotes even cooking of the pie inside. You still need to keep the heat low and respect the approximate frying time. How many pies does this amount yield? The indicated amount of dough yields about 7 large pies. The number may vary if you divide the dough into smaller or larger pieces. Can I prepare the filling in advance? The filling is quick to prepare and is best used after the lettuce and wild garlic have sat for the 5 minutes with salt. If you leave it too long, the leaves can release more water, making the mixture difficult to put into the dough. Nutritional values The values are estimates and may vary depending on the amount of feta used, the type of flour, and how much oil is absorbed during frying. For one pie out of the 7 produced, the estimate is about 500-600 kcal, 60-65 g carbohydrates, 13-16 g protein, and 22-28 g fat. The most significant variation comes from the oil used for frying, as not all the amount added to the skillet ends up in the pies. Feta contributes to the protein and fat intake, while the dough provides most of the carbohydrates. Storage and reheating The pies are best fresh but can be stored until the next day in a covered container. After cooling, the dough may become denser. To reheat, place them in a skillet on low heat and cover the skillet with a lid. Slow heating makes them more pleasant than if heated quickly over high heat. They can also be served cold with milk or yogurt.

Pies with salad, wild garlic, and feta cheese

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