Following the theme of a Mediterranean-style Thanksgiving Dinner, I wanted to serve another dish to compliment the lasagna and decided on borek (pronounced burick). Borek is a Turkish (the “Turkey” in our Thanksgiving Dinner) savory pie. I did a little research and some borek versions are made with meat and others with vegetables and cheese. I decided to combine them all and tested the recipe on the boys.

The pastry crust is usually made with yufka dough. According to the Internet, phyllo dough is very similar – so it must be true. I set both logs of frozen rolled dough on the countertop to thaw for at least two hours.

Brown 3 lbs. of ground meat in a large pot. While the meat cooks, chop 2 onions, 4 green peppers, 3 carrots, 3 celery ribs and 3 cloves of garlic. Drain the meat on paper towels and discard most of the grease in the pot. Using the same pot, sauté all the vegetables and add salt and pepper.

Add the meat back and add 1 tsp. each of crushed fennel, coriander and celery seeds, 2 tsp. ground cumin, 1⁄2 cup chopped fresh parsley and 2 cups red wine. Let all simmer on low for at least 20 minutes – taste and season as necessary. Meanwhile, shred 1 lb. Monterrey jack cheese, spray a 9×13″ baking pan and preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Prepare the egg-wash by whisking 5 eggs, 1 cup milk and 3⁄4 cup vegetable oil. I found it easiest to lay each thin piece of dough directly into the greased baking pan. The dough sheets will overlap each other as well as hang over the sides of the pan. Be sure to brush egg-wash liberally before adding overlapping layers.

Phyllo dough is tricky to work with, so make sure you don’t have dogs, kids or husbands underfoot when trying to complete this task. I ended up laying four sheets of dough across the bottom of the pan to form one layer and then added five similar layers, brushing liberally with the egg-wash.

Spoon half the vegetable-meat mixture onto the layered dough. Then add dollops of small-curd cottage cheese and half the shredded Monterrey jack. Take the dough that was allowed to hang over the sides of the pan and fold into the dish. Begin laying additional sheets of phyllo dough on top, allowing some to hang over the edges of the pan. I overlapped three sheets and made 6 layers – always using egg-wash between sheets.

Spread on the rest of the vegetable-meat mixture, cottage cheese and shredded cheese. Fold in the overlapping dough and finish the top of the dish with 6 more layers of overlapping egg-washed phyllo-dough sheets. Pour any remaining egg-wash over the top. Then sprinkle celery seeds, paprika, cumin, freshly ground black pepper and sesame seeds as the final topping. Whew! Bake for 10 minutes, then cover with foil and bake for another 35 minutes. Let the borek rest for 20 minutes before cutting and serving.

My son brought home collard greens from one of his customers at work and I cooked them with bacon, onions and garlic for a side dish. The borek, greens and a glass of mint tea made a very fine meal. I’ll probably tweak this dish a little more, but it will be a nice addition to a Mediterranean Thanksgiving Dinner.

I remember when I was about 10 years old and had vegetarian lasagna at my friend’s house. I had never heard of making lasagna with just vegetables, but I absolutely loved it.

Mrs. Laurain’s vegetarian lasagna
1 box lasagna noodles (approximately 10)
1 10-oz. pkg. frozen chopped spinach
1 10-oz. pkg. frozen chopped broccoli or cauliflower
1⁄2 cup chopped onion
1 Tbsp. oil
1 cup grated carrots
2 cups sliced mushrooms
1 15-oz. can tomato sauce
1 6-oz. can tomato paste
1-1/2 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. garlic powder
2 cups cottage cheese
1 lb. sliced Monterey jack cheese
1⁄4 cup Parmesan cheese

Over the years I’ve tried many lasagna recipes, but I always come back to that vegetarian one as my favorite. I’m making it for Thanksgiving dinner with my own flair and of course, I’m adding meat.

Start by preparing the green vegetables. Microwaving a 10-oz. pkg. of frozen chopped spinach is easiest, but I’ll clean, chop and cook Swiss chard instead. Microwave a 10-oz. pkg. of frozen chopped broccoli or cauliflower – I will purchase a small head of cauliflower, steam it and chop it. Once those vegetables are prepared, set aside while draining off all excess water.

Chop a medium-sized onion, grate about 3 carrots, mince a garlic clove and slice a large pkg. of mushrooms. Cook a pound of ground Italian sausage and remove with a slotted spoon. Add a Tbsp. of olive oil to the pan and sauté the raw vegetables, seasoning lightly with salt and pepper. Add the Italian sausage back to the pan. Stir in tomato sauce, paste and 1 cup of red wine and bring to a simmer.

Add 2 bay leaves, a tsp. each of oregano, chopped rosemary and crushed fennel seeds. Cover the pot and simmer on low for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, bring water to a boil and cook the lasagna noodles. Grate mozzarella and Monterey jack cheese until you have about a pound total. Sometimes I use a combination of mozzarella and Swiss. I use small-curd cottage cheese, but ricotta is good too. Spray a 9×13″ baking dish with cooking spray. Drain the noodles and return them to the pot and cover with cool water – they’ll be easier to handle.

Begin layering with a small amount of the sauce in the bottom of the dish. Using a paper towel, gently dry half the noodles and overlap them to cover the dish. Spread half the cottage cheese over the noodles and then spread half the spinach and cauliflower. Ladle half of the sauce mixture over the vegetables and then add half of the shredded cheese. Repeat the process starting with layering noodles. Sprinkle chopped fresh parsley and Parmesan cheese over the top.

Bake covered in a 375-degree oven for 30 minutes, removing the cover for the last 10. The lasagna should be golden brown on top and bubbling around the edges. Let rest at least 20 minutes before cutting and serving.

Mise en place (meez on plaus) is a French phrase meaning to “put in place.” Some recipes require almost constant attention and/or the process moves so quickly that the chef doesn’t have time to prep ingredients while cooking the dish. Mise en place encourages having ingredients prepped, measured, lined up and ready to go. Equipment – like a pot, spatula and immersion blender – is set out and at hand.
I made an incredibly rich and creamy beer-cheese soup that required constant stirring and heat management. With everything in place beforehand, the recipe went smoothly.

So, let’s start with mise en place:
• Fry 8-10 slices of bacon (or the entire package) – I often bake bacon in a 350-degree oven on a wire rack over a sheet pan – less mess. Reserve about 3 tablespoons of the grease.
• Measure 4 tablespoons of butter.
• Dice a couple of onions, 4-5 carrots and 4-5 celery ribs.
• Mince 6 cloves of garlic.
• Set out a cup of flour.
• Measure 2 cups of beer. I used amber ale. I’m not much of a beer drinker, but I tasted the ale first and it was pretty good. Don’t use a beer you don’t like. All the alcohol will be cooked out and it will have a fantastic flavor.
• Set out a quart of milk and a quart of chicken broth. Both need to be warmed since adding cold liquid will slow down the process.
• Get the bottle of Worcestershire sauce out of the fridge. About 2 tablespoons is needed, but just eyeball that amount.
• Shred 2.5 lbs. – yes, that’s right – of cheddar cheese. I used a combination of extra-sharp and mild cheddar, because that’s what I had.
• Of course, have salt and pepper ready for seasoning the soup.
• You’ll need a large heavy-bottomed pot and lid, a large spoon for stirring and an immersion blender. If you don’t have an immersion blender, put it on your Christmas list. I use mine all the time.

Now that everything is in its place, begin by heating the reserved bacon grease and butter in the pot over medium heat. Add the onions, carrots and celery – season lightly with salt and pepper. Cook covered for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Then add the garlic and cook for about a minute.

The almost constant stirring begins as you add the flour and cook for a few minutes until it is incorporated with the vegetables. Add the beer and keep stirring. Once that’s blended in, add the milk, chicken broth and Worcestershire sauce and turn the heat up to medium-high. Keep stirring and bring the liquid to a simmer. Then turn the heat down to medium-low and simmer for about 10 minutes – and don’t forget to stir.

Purée with an immersion blender directly in the pot. A blender or food processor can be used, but you’ll need to let the liquid cool first and then bring it back up to heat before the next step.

With the pot over medium-low heat, add the cheese slowly and stir constantly. Never let the liquid come to a boil while adding the cheese. Taste the soup and season with salt and pepper. Serve with crusty bread or croutons, bacon, carrot or celery sticks, apple slices or anything that can be dipped. The soup is so smooth and creamy, it’s like a fondue.