Recipe#6676

Title: Beef Pita, Greek Style

SOAR

   2      Pounds        Ground Beef
   1      Med           Onion -- chopped
   4      Cloves        Garlic -- minced
     1/2  Pound         Mushrooms -- fresh,sliced
   1      Each          Bay Leaf
   1 1/4  Teaspoons     Salt
     1/2  Teaspoon      Chili Powder
     1/2  Teaspoon      Ground Cumin
     1/4  Teaspoon      Ground Cinnamon
   8      Ounces        Tomato Sauce
     1/3  Cup           Burgundy Or Rose Wine
   1      Large         Egg
   8      Ounces        Cream Cheese -- softened
   1      Cup           Cottage Cheese -- creamed
     1/2  Cup           Feta Cheese -- crumbled
     1/2  Cup           Butter -- unsalted
   8      Ounces        Phyllo Dough
     1/4  Cup           Bread Crumbs -- dried
   1      Sprig         Parsley
  12      Each          Cherry Tomatoes
                        Fruit Kabobs -- fresh
*     Unsalted margarine, melted, can also be used. **    Phyllo Leaves are gree
k pastry and they should be defrosted.
Combine ground beef, onion and garlic in a large frying-pan; cook, stirring freq
uently until beef loses pink color.  Pour off drippings.  Add mushrooms, bay lea
f, salt, chili powder, cumin powder, and cinnamon; cook, stirring frequently, un
til mushrooms 
are tender about 5 minutes.  Stir in tomato sauce and wine; cook, covered, 10 mi
nutes, stirring occasionally. Remove bay leaf.  Cool while preparing cheese fill
ing.  Combine egg and cream cheese in medium bowl, beat with electric mixer unti
l smooth.  Sti
r in cottage and feta cheeses and blend.  Brush 13 x 9-inch baking pan with melt
ed butter.  Line pan with 1 sheet of pastry, fitting pastry to contour of pan.  
(Pastry will come up over edges of pan.)  Brush pastry with butter.  Layer with 
3 more pastry 
sheets, brushing each with butter. Sprinkle bread crumbs evenly over top.  Spoon
 1/5 of meat filling in layer over crumbs and 1/5 of the cheese filling over mea
t.  Place 1 pastry sheet over cheese filling, crinkling to fit inside dimensions
 of pan; brush
 with butter and layer with 1/5 of the meat and 1/5 to the cheese fillings. Repe
at with 3 more pastry sheets, crinkling each, brushing with butter and topping w
ith fillings.   Turn bottom pastry ends up over filling.  Place remaining 8 past
ry sheets smoo
thly over top, brushing each with butter. Using spatula, tuck top pastry sheets 
around inside edges of pan.  With sharp knife, score top lightly in half lengthw
ise and sixths crosswise. (Do not cut through)  Bake in moderate oven (350 degre
es F.) 1 hour 
or until top is golden brown.
Cool at least 10 minutes before cutting along scored lines.  Place a cherry toma
to on each of 12 small wooden picks and insert pick in center of each serving.  
Garnish with parsley.  Garnish individual servings with fresh fruit kabobs, if d
esired. FRESH 
FRUIT KABOBS: To make fresh fruit kabobs, place chunks of fresh pineapple, canta
loupe, whole strwberries or other fruits in season on small wooden skewers.