Sirnica

Come on, you know you’re interested despite the funny name!

As usual, I’ve taken some liberties with the original recipe.  May the gods of sticking to a formula forgive me.

Sirnica

• 1 package fillo dough
• 1lb cottage cheese (mine was small curd, fat-free–but feel free to improvise)
• 2 eggs
• 1 large onion, chopped
• a handful of dill, chopped
• salt to taste (1/3 teaspoon is a fine starting point)
• olive oil

1. Saute the onion until it’s soft and translucent and luscious.
2. Loosely whisk the eggs; add cottage cheese and salt.
3. Fold the onions and dill into the egg+cheese mixture.
4. Ok, ready to layer?  This is where you are allowed to get a bit grumpy.  I sure do.  (And then I remember my own grandmother, who made her own fillo dough once a week… and I go from feeling grumpy to feeling like a bit of a loser).
5. Actually, the rest is quite easy.  After you oil the bottom of the baking dish, you will: a) put down a sheet of dough; b) brush it with olive oil; c) repeat… until you have approximately 5 sheets down.
6. Top with 1/3 of the egg+cheese mixture.
7. Add another 4-5 sheets of dough (don’t forget the olive oil).
8. You get the idea: another 1/3 of egg+cheese goodness, another 4-5 sheets of dough…  The top layer should consist of 4-5 layers of dough and 1 sacrificial sheet that’s going to protect the loveliness underneath while it’s in the oven.
9. Bake at 375F for ~45 minutes.

You’re probably thinking, “Hey, this is a lot like baklava.”  Oh, this is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to things my people can stick between layers of fillo dough!  The possibilities are endless.

Potato and rutabaga gratin

Our kitchen was still groaning from the post-holiday root vegetable overload when I poked around tonight in search of dinner inspiration.  (Apparently, I have inherited my mom’s inability to match the amount of purchased/prepared food to the number of people who will ultimately consume it.  If I’m able to close the fridge without having to lean against the door, I begin to worry about impending starvation.)  So, look what became of all those taters and rutabagas:

Potato and rutabaga gratin

• 1 lb fingerling potatoes, cubed
• 1 rutabaga, cubed
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1.5 cup  buttermilk (fat-free, in our case)
• 2 eggs
• blue cheese crumbles to taste (a small fistful, for instance)
• salt and pepper to taste
• fresh dill to taste

1. Place the potatoes, rutabaga, and onion into a shallow baking dish.  Coat with olive oil, salt, pepper.  Bake at 400F for ~25 minutes.
2. Combine the eggs, buttermilk, blue cheese, dill in a mixing bowl; whisk to combine.  Pour over the root vegetables.
3. Continue to bake for another 30 or so minutes, until it’s as tantalizingly delicious as the picture above.