There is a special affinity between Feta and chillies. Chillies like the Banana pepper are stuffed with this cheese and preserved in oil and vinegar, for serving as a dish as part of a the popular Meze table. Another affinity that chillies have with this cheese is that they love being baked, This Greek recipe for spicy Feta is baked with chillies in the oven is exactly along this theme. Kalí órexi !
Ingredients
Tomatoes – four medium
Feta cheese – two 200 gram blocks
Pickled Banana Chillies – two to three ( chopped) see note *
Chilli flakes - one tablespoon
Olive oil – four teaspoons ( or more according to taste)
Oregano – one teaspoon
Aluminium foil
Instructions
Cut out the cores from the tomatoes using a sharp knife.
Cut a shallow cross in the skin of each tomato.
Using tongs. blanche each tomato for 10 to 20 seconds in hot water
Once blanched, immediately plunge into ice-cold water ( use ice to make this ) and then immediately remove. This should make it easy to peel the skins.
Peel the skins and discard
Cut the tomatoes in half and remove and discard the seeds
Chop the remaining flesh into dice about 12mm
Chop the feta blocks in half to provide four 100 gram pieces
Chop a 20 gram slice off each block Keep to one side
Cut four pieces of aluminium foil large enough to make parcels that will have their tops scrunched up to cover folded over when the cheese is to be baked.
Place the cheese in the centre of the foil and fold up the sides ( forming the unclosed parcel.)
Spoon equal amounts of the chopped tomato on top of the cheese
Add the chopped banana chillies in equal quantities. (see note)
Crumble the reserved 20-gram slices of feta cheese and sprinkle over the top of the chillies
Sprinkle the chilli flakes and oregano equally over the crumbled cheese
Pour a teaspoon of olive oil ( or more, to personal taste) over the top.
Scrunch up the foil to close the parcels
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes at 180 degrees Celsius. Remove
Turn up the oven to grilling temperature.
Open the tops of the parcels and place under the grill.
Grill until browned ( 2 to 3 minutes)
Serve immediately with pita bread or similar
Notes
* If you are unable to buy pickled banana peppers, any pickled yellow or green chillies will do,
Keywords: Spicy Feta cheese with tomatoes and chillies
Nutrition Information
Serving size: 200g Calories: 70 Fat: 26 g Saturated fat: 16 g Unsaturated fat: 8 g Trans fat: 0 g Carbohydrates: 10 g Sugar: 7 g Sodium: 1114 mg Fiber: 2 g Protein: 15 g Cholesterol: 89 mg
Recipe by The Chilli Workshop at https://chilliworkshop.co.uk/recipes-with-chilllies/chillies-and-cheese/feta-bouyiourdi/