---------- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.02
  
       Title: BEEF PITA, GREEK STYLE
  Categories: Beef, Meats
       Yield: 12 servings
  
       2 lb Ground Beef
       1 ea Med. Onion, Chopped
       4 ea Small Cloves Garlic, Minced
     1/2 lb Fresh Mushrooms, Sliced
       1 ea Bay Leaf
   1 1/4 ts Salt
     1/2 ts Chil Powder
     1/2 ts Cumin Powder
     1/4 ts Cinnamon
       8 oz (1 cn) Tomato Sauce
     1/3 c  Burgundy Or Rose Wine
       1 ea Large Egg
       8 oz (1 pk) Cream Cheese,Softened
       1 c  Creamed Cottage Cheese
     1/2 c  Crumbled Feta Cheese
     1/2 c  Unsalted Butter, Melted *
       8 oz (1/2 Pk) Phyllo Leaves **
     1/4 c  Dry Bread Crumbs
 
 -------------------------GARNISHES-------------------------
       1 x  Parlsey Sprigs
      12 ea Cherry Tomatoes
       1 x  Fresh Fruit Kabobs (opt.)
  
   *     Unsalted margarine, melted, can also be used.
   **    Phyllo Leaves are greek pastry and they should
   be defrosted.
   ~------------------------------------------------------
   ~----------------- Combine ground beef, onion and
   garlic in a large frying-pan; cook, stirring
   frequently until beef loses pink color.  Pour off
   drippings.  Add mushrooms, bay leaf, salt, chili
   powder, cumin powder, and cinnamon; cook, stirring
   frequently, until mushrooms are tender about 5
   minutes.  Stir in tomato sauce and wine; cook,
   covered, 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove bay
   leaf.  Cool while preparing cheese filling.  Combine
   egg and cream cheese in medium bowl, beat with
   electric mixer until smooth.  Stir in cottage and feta
   cheeses and blend.  Brush 13 x 9-inch baking pan with
   melted 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 meat.  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. Repeat
   with 3 more pastry sheets, crinkling each, brushing
   with butter and topping with fillings.   Turn bottom
   pastry ends up over filling.  Place remaining 8 pastry
   sheets smoothly 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 lengthwise and sixths crosswise. (Do not cut
   through)  Bake in moderate oven (350 degrees F.) 1
   hour or until top is golden brown.  Cool at least 10
   minutes before cutting along scored lines.  Place a
   cherry tomato 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 desired. FRESH FRUIT KABOBS:
   To make fresh fruit kabobs, place chunks of fresh
   pineapple, cantaloupe, whole strwberries or other
   fruits in season on small wooden skewers.
  
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