Feta Cheese and Dill Stuffed Flatbread

I’m an only child, which on occasion means being spoiled rotten.  So, when at age eleven I demanded a puppy, my parents happily obliged.  Granted, the three of us lived in an eight hundred square foot one bedroom apartment on the sixth floor of a ten story building with no air conditioning during the scorching summer months.  Did it matter?  Not at all…  The four of us simply learned how to gloriously bake in the one bedroom hell of a sauna.  But being treated like a princess was not the case when visiting my grandparents in the northern part of Romania.       

Maramureș, a region in the northern part of Romania, is a place where time seems to stand still and hundreds of years of culture and traditions are firmly engrained in the rugged mentality, hardened way of life and extremely hardworking people.  It is here where the nearby volcanic mountains are proudly covered in a dense layer of snow well into spring; where locals master the elaborate process of making the famous ţuică drink every year (my ninety five year old great-grandmother is still deeply invested in this process); not to mention how chickens and other domestic animals roam freely around the yard all day long and are considered proud members of the family.  Maramureș is also the place where I learned how to forage for plump beautiful mushrooms in the untamed forests, how to gingerly maneuver a two handle saw and help my grandfather cut wood at the very young age of four, and most importantly where I learned how to whip up this rustic and mouthwatering Feta Cheese and Dill Stuffed Flatbread. 

These flatbreads are without a doubt a staple in my grandma Aurica’s kitchen – simple, basic dough stuffed with a cheesy goodness.  It can’t get better or easier than that!  They are unpretentious and versatile; delicious for breakfast, satisfying as a snack, great for lunch, and light for a quick dinner.  Needless to say, they are a terrific alternative for the beloved bread.  The yeasty dough winds up tender and sweetly chewy while nestling a perfectly salty and savory interior.  These Feta Cheese and Dill Stuffed Flatbreads are deeply flavorful without being fussy and I guarantee you won’t stop with just one.  Enjoy!  

Feta Cheese and Dill Stuffed Flatbread

By Simply Romanesco inspired my Grandma Vicki and Grandma Aurica

Makes: 15 stuffed flatbreads

Ingredients:

·         500 grams (3 ½ cups) all-purpose flour

·         ½ teaspoon baking soda

·         1 teaspoon salt

·         1 packet (7 grams) fast rise dry yeast

·         1 ½ teaspoon sugar

·         1 large egg, at room temperature

·         125 ml (1/2 cup) water

·         125 (1/2 cup) whole milk

·         50 ml (1/4 cup) vegetable oil, plus more for frying

Ingredients for the filling:

·         350 grams (12 oz) feta cheese

·         A good bunch of fresh dill, chopped (the green parts of green onions, chopped, also work really well)

Instructions:

In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, salt, yeast and sugar.  Mix well.  Add the egg, water and milk and, using clean hands, gently combine all the ingredients.  Add the oil and mix well until the dough gathers into a ball.  Knead the dough for a few minutes until it becomes pliable and easy to work with.  Leave the dough in the bowl.  Cover the bowl with a dish towel and allow the dough to rest and rise for an hour and a half until it almost doubles in size.

In the meantime, combine the feta cheese and dill in a medium bowl and set aside.

Divide the dough into 15 balls.  Lightly flour the work surface and the rolling pin and roll out the balls of dough one at a time.  Add a heaping Tablespoon of the feta cheese and dill filling and fold the edges of the dough to seal the filling inside.  Set aside and allow the filled concoction to rest for 10 minutes.  Proceed the same way with the rest of the dough. 

Lightly flour the rolling pin and roll out each of the filled doughs careful not to break the surface and the filling to spill out.    
    

  

In a large skillet, heat about ½ cup of vegetable oil over medium heat.  Add one or two flatbreads at a time and cook them over medium-low heat for 2-3 minutes on each side or until golden-brown.  Place the cooked flatbreads on a platter and cover to keep warm.

Poftă Bună! (Bon Appétit!)

Nutella: The European peanut butter

I grew up eating toast with Nutella every morning as a kid.  Nutella is for Europeans what peanut butter is for Americans – a staple food.  The only difference is that Nutella is a chocolate-hazelnut spread.  Just like with peanut butter, you can indulge yourself in Nutella straight from the jar – a very dangerous thing to do!  For that reason, I try to store my Nutella in the very back of my pantry so that I don’t have easy access to it; otherwise, I could devour it in one sitting, and then go to the store and buy a brand new one.   

I was in middle school when Nutella became extremely popular in Romania.  At first, my mom didn’t really understand what all the fuss was with this new chocolate spread on bread.  She thought that the two didn’t go together at all and hoped that my fixation would just go away.  It didn’t.  In fact, my love for Nutella continued throughout high school.  Every morning, it was the same – toast and Nutella with a cup of tea or cocoa.  This was my ultimate breakfast.  I still love Nutella to this day, although my breakfast choices have evolved since.  However, from time to time, I still like to make myself a nice cup of cocoa and enjoy it with toast and Nutella.  It immediately brings back childhood memories.  

But aside from eating the hazelnut spread from the jar with a spoon or on toast, I also like to make sweet, rich, decadent treats with it.  Anything tastes better with Nutella!  So, when I found Giada’s recipe with Nutella I was immediately hooked, intrigued and ready to try it.  I’ve always loved calzones.  I’ve had calzones before at various pizzerias, like I imagine many of you have, but I’ve never had a dessert calzone, or better said a Nutella calzone.  Let me tell you, these ricotta and chocolate-hazelnut calzones are over the top!  

Ricotta and Chocolate – Hazelnut Calzones

Adapted slightly from Ricotta and Chocolate-Hazelnut Calzones by Giada De Laurentiis

Serves: 6 servings

Ingredients:

·         ¾ cup ricotta cheese, at room temperature

·         ¼ cup mascarpone cheese, at room temperature

·         1 large egg yolk, at room temperature

·         2 Tablespoons confectioners’ sugar, plus more for dusting

·         8 ounces frozen strawberries or any other berries you prefer, thawed (I used 16 ounces of frozen strawberries and it worked perfectly)

·         2 Tablespoons sugar

·         2/3 cup chocolate-hazelnut spread (recommended: Nutella), at room temperature

·         3 Tablespoons heavy cream, at room temperature

·         6 (2-ounce) pieces homemade or purchased pizza dough, cold

·         1 large egg, beaten to blend

Instructions:

Blend the ricotta, mascarpone, egg yolk, and confectioners’ sugar in a food processor until smooth and creamy.  Transfer the ricotta mixture to a small bowl, cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes. 

Meanwhile, blend the strawberries and sugar in a clean food processor until smooth.  Transfer the strawberry sauce to a small bowl and set aside.

Whisk the chocolate-hazelnut spread and cream in a medium bowl to blend.

Position the oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 450°F.

Line a heavy large baking sheet with parchment paper.  Roll out each piece of pizza dough into a 7-inch-diameter round.  Spoon the ricotta mixture atop the center of the lower half of each pizza dough.  Spoon the chocolate-hazelnut mixture atop the cheese mixture.  Brush the upper edges of the dough with egg wash.  Fold the plain dough halves over the filling, forming half circles.  Pinch the edges of dough firmly together to seal.  Using a pastry wheel, trim the edges to make them look pretty.  If you don’t have a pastry wheel, don’t worry, just use a fork and press on the edges – that’s what I did and I was pleased with the final product.  Transfer the calzones to the prepared baking sheet, spacing evenly.

Brush the tops of the calzones with more egg wash.  Bake until the calzones puff and become golden brown, about 10 minutes.  Transfer the baking sheet to a rack and cool for 15 minutes.  Transfer the calzones to plates and dust with the confectioners’ sugar.  Drizzle the strawberry sauce around the calzones and serve.  

The sweet cheese mixture is light, the chocolate is rich and creamy, and the strawberry sauce is tart and brightens up the flavor and color of these sweet pockets.  They are unique, chocolaty, totally different, and a definite must-try!