Thursday, July 15, 2010

Greek Zucchini Pie

I tested this dish with a few different ingredients as the base and decided that a basic quiche-like custard tasted the best and brought a great smooth texture to the pie. But, this is no quiche. The flavors in this pie and its classic combination of zucchini and dill are light, flavorful and filled with summer. Though it is baked it makes the perfect accompaniment to any grilled Greek style meat or really any grilled meats at all. Don't let my use of phyllo dough for the crust scare you off either. Just a few sheets placed in your baking dish and you are good to go. I promise it is simple to prepare. I hope you enjoy.

Greek Zucchini Pie

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lbs. zucchini, grated (about 5 cups)
2/3 cup onion, diced
6 eggs, beaten
3/4 cup heavy cream
1 cup dill, chopped
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
3/4 cup feta cheese, crumbled
1 Tbsp. olive oil
4 sheets Phyllo dough, thawed according to package directions
freshly ground black pepper
olive oil spray

Preheat oven to 350'

Grate the zucchini with the shredding blade in your food processor or with a box grater. Place the zucchini in a clean cotton kitchen towel and wring well to release all of the moisture.

Preheat a large saute pan that has been coated with olive oil spray on medium heat. Saute the zucchini and onions until tender, about 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. Season with black pepper while cooking. Set aside to cool.

Whisk together the eggs, heavy cream, dill, nutmeg and feta cheese in a large bowl. Season with black pepper. Add the cooled zucchini and onion mixture and stir to blend well.

Lightly brush a sheet of phyllo dough with olive oil, season with black pepper and place in the bottom of an 8" by 8" casserole dish. It will be long enough to hang over the edges on two sides. Place a second sheet, which has been brushed with olive oil and seasoned with black pepper over the first, making sure the bottom is covered completely. Using the same method with the last two sheets, place them in the opposite direction in the casserole dish so that they drape over the other two sides and all four sides have flaps. Pour the zucchini mixture into the crust, fold the flaps up around the edges of the pie and lightly coat the flaps with olive oil spray. Bake for about 1 hour to 1 1/4 hours or until a knife inserted comes out clean. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Nutrition Facts
9 Servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories 200.6
Total Fat 15.3 g
Saturated Fat 7.8 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1.0 g
Monounsaturated Fat 5.3 g
Cholesterol 180.0 mg
Sodium 222.9 mg
Potassium 290.1 mg
Total Carbohydrate 8.9 g
Dietary Fiber 1.4 g
Sugars 1.3 g
Protein 7.5 g

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