ETHNIC DISHES:
 

Finnish Meatballs:  (Lihapyorykoita)

3/4 cup fine bread crumbs
l cup half&half
1-1/2 lbs. very lean ground beef
l small onion minced
l beaten egg
2 teasp. salt
1/2 teasp ground allspice
2 TBSP butter
2 TBSP flour
l-1/2 cups milk

Soak bread crumbs in 1/2 the half&half. Mix together the meat, onion, bread crumbs.  Add beaten egg, salt and allspice.  Mix with hands until well blended and very fine in texture.  Shape into tiny balls (size of large marble).  Melt the butter  in a frying pan and brown meatballs a few at a time, shaking pan to brown them on all sides.  Remove them from pan and  brown the flour in the drippings.  Mix with fork until smooth, then slowly add the rest of the half&half and the milk, stirring  until very smooth.  Add a little water if it gets too thick.  Return all meatballs to the pan, cover and cook on low heat for  25 minutes.  Serve over noodles or fluffy mashed potatoes.

Sent by Finn Biscuit

English Crumpets:

7 1/8  ounces of white flour
1/2  teaspoon Salt
1/2  teaspoon Sugar
3/8  cup  Milk
2 1/8  teaspoons Dried yeast
1 pinch  Bicarb of Soda
Fat for frying

English crumpets are delicious when spread hot with butter. The butter soaks into the crumpet and drips down your chin as you bite them.

Strong white flour is the type bakers use for bread dough.  High in gluten in makes a good risen batter or dough.  In England we have 'Crumpet Rings which are metal, about 3" in diameter.  These are placed into a fry pan and act as molds while the crumpet cooks. Crumpets can be anywhere between 2" and 5" in diameter.

Sift the flour and salt into a mixing bowl.  Gently warm the milk to just hand hot and sprinkle on the dried yeast.  Leave to stand for 10 or 15 minutes until frothy.  Add the yeast mix to flour and beat to a smooth batter.  Cover with a damp cloth and leave to stand in a warm place for 45 minutes, or the batter has doubled in size.  Dissolve the bicarb in 15ml of warm water and beat it into the batter.  Cover again and leave to stand for a further 20 minutes.  Place a 3 inch metal pastry cutter into a hot greased fry pan.  Pour in about table spoon of the batter to cover the base thinly. Cook until the top is set and the bubbles have burst. Remove it from the ring, turn the crumpet over and cook the other side for 2 or 3 minutes only.  It should just color slightly. Cool on a wire rack.  Eat them now, or leave to go cold and toast them until brown on both sides. Spread with lots of good butter and enjoy.
From Ron's Place in Blackpool.

Sent by JeanMD

Spanakopita ( Stuffed Filo pastries appetizer)

This can also be made in a rectangular Lasagne pan and cut into squares for serving.

1 1/2 lb. spinach, tough stems removed, coarsely chopped
1 1/2 cups crumbled feta cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan or pecorino cheese
4 eggs, lightly beaten
2 Tbs. chopped fresh mint
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1/2 lb. filo dough (20 sheets), thawed if frozen
8 Tbs. (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

Heat a large fry pan over medium high heat. Add the spinach with only the rinsing water clinging to the leaves, cover and cook until wilted, about 1 minute. Drain well on paper towels, then squeeze out as much of the remaining liquid as possible. Place in a large bowl and add the feta cheese, parmesan cheese, eggs, mint, and nutmeg. Stir well to combine. Season with salt and pepper.  Preheat an oven to 375°F.

Lightly butter a baking sheet. Cut the stack of filo sheets lengthwise into 3 equal strips. Remove 1 strip and cover the remaining filo with a slightly dampened kitchen towel to prevent it from drying out. Place the strip on a work surface and brush lightly with melted butter. Place another strip on top. Brush the second strip lightly with melted butter. Place a heaping teaspoonful of the filling about 1 inch in from the bottom of the strip. Fold the uncovered end over the filling on the diagonal to form a triangular shape. Bring the bottom of the triangle up against the straight edge. Continue folding in this manner until the tip of the strip is reached, forming a triangular pastry. Brush lightly with melted butter. Place on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining filo and filling.

Bake until golden, about 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and transfer to a platter. Serve immediately, warm or at room temperature. Makes 30 triangles
* Note:  It doesn't hurt to leave out the mint leaves, I normally don't use mint.  And if you can't get Feta cheese, try using cottage cheese with salt added.  I've done that on a number of occasions.

Tinker

Cheese Blintzes:  (Crepes filled with Cottage Cheese )
The only way to eat cottage cheese!

Batter:
1 Cup Milk
2 tbsp. Vegetable oil
1/2 tsp. Salt
3/4 Cup  All-purpose flour

Filling:
2 Cups Cottage cheese (16 oz)
2 tbsp. Sugar
1 tbsp. Unsalted butter-melted
1 tsp. Vanilla
3/4 tsp. Salt
3 Large eggs
Unsalted butter-melted
1 Egg-lightly beaten

To make batter, put the eggs, milk, oil, and salt in a blender container. Blend well. Add the flour and blend until just combined, scraping down the sides once.
Brush an 8-inch frying pan with melted butter.
Pour in 2 to 3 Tbsp. of batter, tilting the pan so the batter flows to coat the bottom. Use just enough batter to make a thin pancake. Just like you're making crepes, because that is what they are!
Cook until the edges begin to turn golden.  Shake the pan to loosen the pancake.
Quickly turn the pancake out onto a paper towel, browned side up.
Repeat with the remaining butter and batter, stacking the cooked pancakes between sheets of paper towel.
Combine all the ingredients for the filling in a mixing bowl.  Arrange a pancake, browned side up, and place a heaping spoonful of filling just above the center.  Fold the sides toward the middle, overlapping the edges. Fold down the top to seal in the filling, then roll the pancake to make a neat little packet.  Arrange the blintzes, seam side down, on a heated griddle or in a large skillet brushed with butter. Cook until browned, turning once.
Serve with Apple Sauce or Sour Cream. Makes 14 to 18 blintzes.

Tinker