Banitsa with Spinach (Bulgaria)

World-Bites (73) / Banitsa with Spinach

Bulgaria is full of vegetable plots and orchards, and fresh fruit and vegetables are half the secret of Bulgarian food. The most common Bulgarian snack food is banitsa (often referred to by its diminutive form, banichka, or known in some areas as byurek), a flaky pastry filled with cheese or spinach, on occasion, meat. At its best, the banitsa is a delicious light bite. Banitsa can be served as either appetizer or snack, depending on the filling. Other important Bulgarian snack ingredients and recipes are pita, which is similar to the bread and is used for sandwiches, Mekitsas, round bread loaves with cheese and ears. Ears do not include any animal meat, although they bear this name. The name was given because of the shape. The ingredients that are used to prepare ears are: yeast, flour, butter, sheep cheese and salt. Despite the fact that a low number of ingredients are used to prepare recipes such as this one, the snacks are very appreciated, all over the country.

Ingredients

* 1 kg flour,
* 1 kg spinach,
* white Cheese,
* 3/2 cupful of yogurt,
* 200g butter,
* 1 spoonful sunflower oil,
* 1 spoonful vinegar,
* salt

Directions

1. Cook the cleaned and finely cut spinach in some of the butter.
2. After having cooled, stir in crumbled Cheese and yoghurt.
3. Knead a hard dough from the flour, oil, vinegar, salt and water.
4. Roll into five sheets (1 kg of ready rolled pastry sheets may also be used).
5. Line a baking dish with butter, place 1 sheet on the bottom and top with the spinach filling.
6. Add a second sheet, filling and so on.
7. Bake in a moderate oven.