How to Make Greens and Cheese Borek Pastries

Savory round cheese borek are filled with wilted greens, sautéed shallots and cheese all rolled up in a delicious savory pastry.

Stuff Turkish borek with your favorite fillings

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I will never turn down a borek. My version of this Turkish borek recipe, usually in savory form are often filled with some sort of wilted green, be it spinach, such as in my spinach and feta borek and some sort of savory ooey gooey cheese concoction.

I have also stuffed Turkish borek with eggplant served alongside a Turkish breakfast and when I have a sweet tooth, have used puff pastry in lieu of phyllo and made a blueberry apple borek with sweet tahini glaze. A total winner!

I love working with phyllo and if you can even find yufka, grab that! Yufka is slightly thicker and even more pliable and I believe much easier to work with.

However, if phyllo is all you can find, don’t fret. I always say be confident and deliberate. Phyllo can dry out quickly so keep it damp with a towel on top and don’t leave it out too long.

Another tip is to not overfull with your filling so it doesn’t rip the phyllo sheets. Though, if there is a little tear, that is totally OK since it will just allow the delicious gooey cheese to ooze out a bit easier.

Still have kale and chard?
Add them to this easy kale egg and feta toast or make this easy pasta dinner.

How to Make Greens and Cheese Borek Pastries

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• Author: Samantha Ferraro

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Ingredients

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• 1 tbsp olive oil + 1/2 cup olive oil (separated)
• 1 shallot chopped finely
• 1 bunch of kale hard stems removed and leaves roughly chopped
• 1 bunch of Swiss or rainbow chard hard stems removed and leaves roughly chopped
• 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
• 4 ounces shredded mozzarella
• 1 bunch of dill hard stems removed and roughly chopped
• Zest of 1 lemon
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 roll of phyllo a package usually comes with 2 rolls (defrosted)

Toppings:

• 1 egg
• 1 tbsp milk
• Zaatar
• Aleppo Pepper
• Parmesan cheese

On the Side

• Labneh or Greek yogurt
• Lemon wedges

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Instructions

1. Over medium heat, add 1 tablespoon olive oil and sautee shallots for a few minutes until softened. Add chopped greens and saute for 2-3 minutes until wilted and add to a bowl and cool for a few minutes.
2. Add the feta, mozzarella, dill and lemon zest to the greens and mix to combine. Taste for seasoning and adjust as needed.
3. Roll out phyllo and place a damp towel over the sheets not being used yet.
4. Place 1 sheet of phyllo on a clean surface and brush with olive oil all over. Repeat with 2 more sheets, stacking them on top of each other.
5. Take about 1/2 cup of filling and place filling along side the longer end of the phyllo. Roll phyllo up so it looks like a long snake and then curl one side in, so its coiled into a round borek.
6. Continue with remaining phyllo and mixture until you have 6 borek.
7. Whisk egg wash and milk together and brush egg wash all over borek and sprinkle with zaatar, Aleppo pepper and an extra dusting of grated Parmesan cheese.