It’s currently day four of being back at work as a high school counselor after three months of maternity leave, and I am keenly aware of just how little time exists in each day. Time and sleep (and coffee) are the hottest commodities in my world right now.
By the time I get home each afternoon, my husband and I have just a few precious hours left to spend with our two children, cook dinner, clean up from dinner and get these kids ready for bed. Our time is more precious than ever. One of the best parts of maternity leave was having time in the day to cook dinner and enjoy it with our family. But now? Dinner takes on a much more harried tenor, and so I have developed a few tricks for the dinnertime rush. One of our favorite quick meals is what we call “Mediterranean Night,” which includes some Israeli salad, humus, tahini, sliced hard-boiled eggs and the main event: vegetable burekas.
The best part of burekas, aside from being doughy little pockets of heaven, is that I use them as a way to clean out my fridge of the veggies and/or herbs that are nearing the end of their freshness. I’ve included my favorite veggie/cheese combination for this recipe but truly, the combinations are endless. Simply chop up your favorite veggies that are lying around in your fridge, saute with some olive oil and garlic and then pair them with your favorite cheese. Add them into some store-bought puffed pastry, and you’ve got an awesome weeknight dinner in just 30 minutes.
Weeknight Veggie and Cheese Burekas