Hi all,
I took vacation days on Tue. and Wed. to be home while my
new furnace was being installed. (When I tried to turn it
on about a month ago nothing happened. I knew it was due to
die as it was over 40 years old. BTW, I live in Pittsburgh,
PA so it gets very cold here in the winter. Luckily we didn't
have any below-freezing weather, just a few nights where it
just barely hit the freezing mark, so I didn't have to worry
about my pipes freezing. And luckily the temps alternated
between cold spells with highs in the 40s or 50s and a couple
of warm spells. The temp on Tue. actually went up to 70.)
So while I was home for breakfast I decided to make a recipe
I have using Bulgarian feta. (I only buy the Bulgarian feta
as it's the absolute best. Beats Greek feta by a mile.) Here's
the recipe:
BULGARIAN SHOPPE-STYLE CHEESE
500g brined sheep's cheese
40g butter
1-2 tomatoes
1-2 peppers
black pepper
paprika
5 eggs
Cut the cheese into 5 equal slices and place into buttered earthenware
bowls. Top with tomato slices, pepper rings, and some butter. Bake in
a hot oven some 5-6 minutes. Break an egg a top of each bowl and add
the remaining butter with pepper and paprika. Bake until a crust is
formed. Serve hot, garnished with slices of tomato, parsley, and a
chilli, as desired.
I made individual portions using about 1/4 lb. cheese per
dish. I put the cheese in small pyrex baking dishes and
topped the cheese in each with 2 thick slices tomato and 2
thick rings of green pepper (which I cut up into smaller
strips for more even distribution) and a couple of pats of
butter. I baked it longer than called for in the recipe.
I took "hot oven" to mean 425F. So I baked for about 10 minutes
and then broke 2 eggs into the one I was going to eat right
away and left the other out to cool and then refrig. for the
next day. I topped the first one with freshly ground pepper
and Hungarian paprika and another pat of butter and put it back
in at 450F this time for another 10 minutes. I really think
it needed the extra time. (Maybe they meant an even hotter
temp when they said "hot oven".) Then although it didn't say
to do this I lightly toasted 2 thick slices of Mancini's
twist (a local bakery's Italian bread - the *BEST* in the
world!!!!) and scoop half of the casserole onto each slice.
Boy was this good! I can't wait to make it again - maybe this
weekend. I have more feta in the freezer. (I have to buy it
in 2-lb. blocks so I slice up the blocks into 1/2 lb. chunks
and freeze what I'm not going to use right away.)
Kate