Beef Pita, Greek Style

---------- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.01

Title: Beef Pita, Greek Style
Categories: Ground beef, Beef, Greek
Yield: 12 servings

2 lb Ground Beef 8 oz (1 cn) Tomato Sauce
1 ea Med. Onion, Chopped 1/3 c Burgundy Or Rose Wine
4 ea Small Cloves Garlic, Minced 1 ea Large Egg
1/2 lb Fresh Mushrooms, Sliced 8 oz (1 pk) Cream
Cheese,Softened
1 ea Bay Leaf 1 c Creamed Cottage Cheese
1 1/4 ts Salt 1/2 c Crumbled Feta Cheese
1/2 ts Chil Powder 1/2 c Unsalted Butter, Melted *
1/2 ts Cumin Powder 8 oz (1/2 Pk) Phyllo Leaves **
1/4 ts Cinnamon 1/4 c Dry Bread Crumbs

---------------------------------GARNISHES---------------------------------
1 x Parlsey Sprigs 1 x Fresh Fruit Kabobs (opt.)
12 ea Cherry Tomatoes

* Unsalted margarine, melted, can also be used.
** Phyllo Leaves are greek pastry and they should be defrosted.
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Combine ground beef, onion and garlic in a large frying-pan; cook,
stirring frequently until beef loses pink color. Pour off drippings. Add
mushrooms, bay leaf, salt, chili powder, cumin powder, and cinnamon; cook,
stirring frequently, until mushrooms are tender about 5 minutes. Stir in
tomato sauce and wine; cook, covered, 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Remove bay leaf. Cool while preparing cheese filling. Combine egg and
cream cheese in medium bowl, beat with electric mixer until smooth. Stir
in cottage and feta cheeses and blend. Brush 13 x 9-inch baking pan with
melted butter. Line pan with 1 sheet of pastry, fitting pastry to contour
of pan. (Pastry will come up over edges of pan.) Brush pastry with
butter. Layer with 3 more pastry sheets, brushing each with butter.
Sprinkle bread crumbs evenly over top. Spoon 1/5 of meat filling in layer
over crumbs and 1/5 of the cheese filling over meat. Place 1 pastry sheet
over cheese filling, crinkling to fit inside dimensions of pan; brush with
butter and layer with 1/5 of the meat and 1/5 to the cheese fillings.
Repeat with 3 more pastry sheets, crinkling each, brushing with butter and
topping with fillings. Turn bottom pastry ends up over filling. Place
remaining 8 pastry sheets smoothly over top, brushing each with butter.
Using spatula, tuck top pastry sheets around inside edges of pan. With
sharp knife, score top lightly in half lengthwise and sixths crosswise.
(Do not cut through) Bake in moderate oven (350 degrees F.) 1 hour or
until top is golden brown. Cool at least 10 minutes before cutting along
scored lines. Place a cherry tomato on each of 12 small wooden picks and
insert pick in center of each serving. Garnish with parsley. Garnish
individual servings with fresh fruit kabobs, if desired.
FRESH FRUIT KABOBS:
To make fresh fruit kabobs, place chunks of fresh pineapple, cantaloupe,
whole strwberries or other fruits in season on small wooden skewers.

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