Beef Pita, Greek Style

---------- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.02

Title: BEEF PITA, GREEK STYLE
Categories: Beef, Meats
Yield: 12 servings

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

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

* Unsalted margarine, melted, can also be used.
** Phyllo Leaves are greek pastry and they should
be defrosted.
~------------------------------------------------------
~----------------- 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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