Pastitsio

Serves 12

Red Sauce:
2 lbs. ground beef
1 large scallion, finely chopped
1 can (32 oz.) tomato sauce
1 bay leaf
1 tsp. salt
½ tsp. pepper

Pasta:
1 lb. of elbow macaroni (Or Greek pastitsio macaroni)
½ cup Romano cheese
½ tsp. pepper

Cream Sauce:
1 stick of butter
5 tbsp. flour
2 ½ cups milk
4 eggs, separated

1. To make the red sauce, in large skillet, sauté onions and ground beef. Add salt and pepper, bay leaf and can of tomato sauce. Cook for 20 minutes. Leave to the side.
2. To cook the pasta, in large pot fill three-quarters of the way with water and boil pasta until tender, about 8 to 10 minutes. Strain pasta and leave in the pot. Add romano cheese. Add egg whites (beaten) and pepper. Leave to the side.
3. To assemble the dish, get a 12x18 pan and spray bottom with non-stick spray. Add half the pasta mixture and spread well into pan. Take meat sauce and spread over the pasta evenly. Take rest of the pasta mixture and put it on top of the meat mixture.
4. To make the cream sauce, in a medium pot melt butter. Then add flour and whisk for 2-3 minutes. Turn off heat and keep adding milk little by little to the mix. Stir until all lumps are gone. Turn stove back on low and cook until the sauce becomes thick, continuously stirring. Add egg yolks and stir well. Pour mixture on top of the pasta evenly. Bake 35-40 minutes at 375 º or until a nice golden color.

Tips from Litsa Menounos:
1. Put tin foil at the bottom of the oven in case the pastitsio puffs up and spills over the sides. If there is not tin foil at the bottom to catch the spills, then the oven will start to smoke!
2. Cut pastitsio when it is warm (not hot). If you cut it too early then it will not keep its shape and will become mushy and fall apart if cut too soon.

Recipe courtesy Litsa Menounos

Kourambiedes cookies

Makes 5 dozen

1 lb. sweet butter (whipped)
2 egg yolks
2 oz. sugar (¼ cup)
1 tsp. baking soda
1 oz. ouzo (Greek liquor) or anisette
1 tsp. vanilla
4-5 cups flour
1 lb. confectioner's sugar

1. Mix butter and sugar well. Beat butter in a large bowl until light and creamy, about 3 minutes. Add sugar, beat to combine.
2. Add yolks, ouzo and vanilla. Mix until incorporated.
3. In a medium-sized bowl combine flour and baking soda. Add flour little by little until dough is not sticky in hands.
4. Using a tbsp. of dough, form into round shapes.
5. Place on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake at 375 º for 15-20 minutes.
6. Once the cookies are taken out of the oven and are still hot, sift the confectioner's sugar over the top of the cookies. Before serving you can sift more sugar on top of cookies.

Recipe courtesy Litsa Menounos

Spinach Pies

Makes 60

2 cups spinach (frozen), thaw and squeeze dry
½ cup scallions (chopped)
½ cup fennel (chopped)
½ cup parsley (chopped)
1 cup feta cheese, crumbled
½ cup ricotta cheese
4 eggs, beaten
1 tsp. black pepper
¼ cup mint (chopped)
1 lb. phyllo dough (thawed to room temperature)
1 lb. butter (melted)
¼ cup olive oil

1. In a medium pan sauté onions with olive oil until soft, about 3 minutes. Add spinach, parsley, mint, anise, cook for 3-4 minutes, then put aside to cool.
2. In a bowl mix feta, ricotta cheese, eggs, pepper and lastly add the spinach mixture and mix well.
3. Open phyllo dough and cut the stack of sheets into 3 long strips. Then pile the strips one on top of the other and lay a damp cloth on top to stay moist (otherwise it will dry and crack).
4. Warm and melt the butter. Take one strip of phyllo dough and butter both sides with a brush. Place one tbsp. of spinach mixture and put at the top corner of the strip. Pull left corner and take it to the right side. Then take right corner and pull it to the left side. Keep folding in a triangle design until the strip is done.
5. Butter the top and place on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 375 º for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown.
6. You can also freeze these (uncooked) to keep for future if you don't want to cook all at the same time.

Recipe courtesy Litsa Menounos