
Greek chicken burgers with spinach and cream cheese
Ingredients
Greek chicken patties: 250 ml frozen spinach, drained & thoroughly dried
15 ml dill, chopped
5 ml oregano
juice of half a lemon
500 g skinless chicken breasts, finely chopped or minced
230 g LANCEWOOD Medium Fat Plain Cream Cheese or Spring Onion & Chives Cream Cheese
or 30 ml LANCEWOOD Greek Delight Double Cream Plain Yoghurt
salt & freshly ground black pepper
oil for spraying and frying
10 mini burger buns
10 lettuce leaves
2 tomatoes , sliced
1 cucumber, sliced
1 red onion, thinly sliced
Lemon & garlic cream cheese spread:
230 g LANCEWOOD Medium Fat Spring Onion & Chives Cream Cheese
60 ml LANCEWOOD Greek Delight Double Cream Plain Yoghurt
grated zest of half a lemon
1 small clove garlic, crushed
5 ml fresh dill, chopped
salt & freshly ground black pepper
Method
Greek chicken patties: In a large bowl, mix the spinach, dill, oregano and lemon juice together. Add the chicken and mix until well combined. In a separate bowl, mix the cream cheese and yoghurt together until smooth. Add this to the chicken mixture and mix through. Shape them into small balls and flatten them between your hands. Place the flattened balls in the freezer for 30 minutes to firm up. Once firm, place on baking paper in the air fryer and spray with oil. Air fry at 180o for 10 – 12 minutes until cooked through. Cut the burger buns in half and place the garnish on the bottom bun. Top with the patty and either spread with a lemon and garlic cream cheese spread or LANCEWOOD DIPde'lite. Close the bun and secure with a short kebab stick.
Lemon & garlic cream cheese spread:
Mix the cream cheese and yoghurt together until smooth. Add the lemon zest, garlic and dill. Mix well and season to taste.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Daily Maverick
2 days ago
- Daily Maverick
Kreatopita (Greek country pie)
Though not nearly as famous outside Greece as youvetsi, dolmades, spanakopita or moussaka, kreatopita – a Greek country meat pie – is a recipe worth having in your repertoire. This is a mince (ground meat) recipe for which you can use either beef, lamb/mutton, or a mixture of either of those, with lean pork mince. The meat filling differs from many other savoury mince recipes in its inclusion of an unusual combination of aromatics – cinnamon, oregano, paprika, bay and a hint of turmeric – and the happy surprise of a good whack of grated Parmesan (or other hard cheese). The filling is finished with yoghurt and beaten egg, and baked in a snug parcel of phyllo pastry. You even get to sprinkle some sesame seeds on top. What's not to love… This pie feeds four hungry people. Ingredients 6 to 8 sheets phyllo pastry Olive oil, for brushing 500 g ground meat 1 onion 2 garlic cloves 5 or 6 oregano sprigs, the leaves picked from their stems 2 bay leaves 1 tsp ground cinnamon 1 tsp ground turmeric 1 tsp paprika 100 g tomato paste 1 beef stock pot (or liquid beef stock) 1 large carrot, diced 1 tsp sugar 1 cup/ 250 ml grated Parmesan 5 Tbs (75 g) Greek yoghurt 1 egg, beaten Sesame seeds Salt and pepper Water Method Defrost the phyllo. Chop onion and garlic finely and sauté in a little olive oil until translucent. Stir in the tomato paste and sauté while stirring, to cook away the tart edge of the tomato concentrate. Crumble in the minced meat with your fingers to prevent clumping, then use a wooden spoon to be sure it does not form clumps while you work it into the mixture. Add the bay leaves, cinnamon, turmeric, paprika, sugar and oregano leaves (discard the stems). Add the carrot, and the beef stock pot (no need to dissolve it in water) or liquid stock, and stir to ensure the stock is incorporated. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and simmer over a very low heat for 20 minutes, stirring frequently. This is important, because this is a rather dry mince recipe, with little liquid, so it can catch easily… Which is where the cheese and yoghurt come in. Add a generous cup of grated Parmesan, stir for it to melt into the mix, then add the yoghurt and stir well. Finally, stir in one beaten egg. The filling is now ready to go into your pie. For the pie, grease a suitable oven dish (mine is Pyrex). Unfold the phyllo on a flat surface and have a damp tea towel handy to lay on it after you've removed each sheet. Have a bowl of olive oil and basting brush to hand. Layer one sheet into the dish, then brush all over with olive oil. Lay two or three more sheets on top of it, brushing with oil each time. There's likely to be an overhang of phyllo up the sides, which you will fold inwards after you've added the filling. Spoon in the filling and even it out. Fold the overhanging phyllo inwards like the following photo: Cut three or four sheets of phyllo to just slightly bigger (on all sides) than the surface of the dish. Now layer each of these sheets of phyllo on top, brushing each time. Be more generous than before with brushing oil on the top layer. Now use the basting brush to push the phyllo down along the edges. Sprinkle sesame seeds all over the top. Finally, use a sharp knife to score the top of the phyllo as in the photo below, then use your fingers to sprinkle a little cold water over the top of the pastry. This helps it crisp beautifully. Bake in a preheated 180℃ oven for an hour. I recommend lemon potato wedges with it, but honestly, it's a meal in itself, so you may just want to make it the whole meal. DM .


The Citizen
08-08-2025
- The Citizen
Newcastle women awarded Benemerenti medal by Pope Leo
Their decades of faithful service to the Catholic Church were unexpectedly acknowledged and appreciated when Phillippa (Joan) East (94) and June Wells, were each awarded a Benemerenti medal by Pope Leo XIV last week. Visit our official facebook page to see the photos: The women were also awarded certificates of recognition by their local parish. Phillippa and June are congregants of the St Peter and Paul church in Newcastle. While June is the 'go-to' woman when it comes to secretarial duties, finances and even maintenance, Phillippa makes her contribution to the church, and to the community, as a member of the Catholic Church Women's Network. The Benemerenti medal was initially bestowed on soldiers in the Papal army to honour those who demonstrated valour during battle. However, this changed in 1925 when the Catholic Church began awarding it to both military and lay people in recognition of outstanding service to the church. The medal is a gold Greek cross depicting Christ with his hand raised in blessing. On the left arm of the cross is the tiara and crossed keys symbol of the papacy. On the right arm is the coat of arms of the current Pope. The medal is suspended from a yellow and white ribbon, the colours of the Papacy. Phillippa explained that she and June were nominated for the award by the parish priest, Father Andrew Moyo, the nomination was then endorsed by the local Bishop, Graham Rose, and sent to Rome where Pope Leo made the final decision to award the medals. However, the women were oblivious to the fact that they had even been nominated and were in complete shock when Bishop Rose presented them with the awards during Sunday mass. 'It is the first time in my life that something like this has happened,' said Phillippa, who believes that she and June are the first Newcastle residents to ever receive the award. 'I was so shocked, I couldn't believe it.' 'My understanding is that the award is a token of gratitude for service, not only to the church, but also to the community and to humanity, and we were chosen because of the compassion we have for the less fortunate, regardless of race, religion or financial standing,' Phillippa explained. Phillipa is better known as 'Joan' in the community she serves. She was given this nickname by her late husband, John, as Phillippa's maiden surname, Bennett, was the same as that of American actress, Joan Bennett. Phillippa was born in Cape Town on June 6, 1931, but grew up in the Transvaal. She met her husband while working as a child-minder at a crèche run by the Anglican Church in Sophiatown. 'My husband was a priest in the Anglican Church under Father Trevor Huddleston (well known for his anti-apartheid activism),' said Phillippa. 'We moved to Newcastle in the 1950's when my mother-in-law fell ill. She lived in Newcastle and my husband and I came here to look after her. I've been a member of the Catholic Church Women's League since then. I saw the good work that the Women's League was doing and asked to join.' After Phillippa moved to Newcastle, she went to work as the store manager at Checkers and would later move on to manage OK Furniture. 'I needed to work in order for us to afford our children's school fees and accommodation at boarding school. At that time, there were no high schools in Newcastle where coloured children could enrol,' Phillippa explained. Over the course of her life, Phillippa was blessed with six children, 17 grandchildren, two great-grandchildren and two great-great-grandchildren. As a member of the Women's Network, Phillippa visits the sick in hospitals and in their homes to offer prayer and comfort, makes frequent donations of food, groceries, blankets and other essentials to the poor and assists at St Anthony's child and youth care centre, in Blaauwbosch, as well as at the Amakazi old age facility, near Vryheid, as often as possible. 'Nobody says you must do this. It must come from the heart,' says Phillippa. 'To me, charity work feels like a calling from God. It gives me so much satisfaction to know I am helping someone. I try to be a role model to others and urge all residents to join a charity organisation and contribute to the welfare of our community. There are lots of people who need help. We need to do what we can.' In her free time, Phillippa enjoys knitting socks. '…so people can keep their feet warm in winter,' she laughs. She also enjoys pottering around in the garden. June declined an interview with the Northern Natal News. Phillippa described June as a private person who has quietly served as the backbone of the church for many years. 'Everyone at St Peter and Paul's knows …If you need something, ask Aunty June!' says Phillippa. June is a retired nurse, who worked at the Newcastle Provincial Hospital. 'We were neighbours for many years and our children played together every day till sunset. They are still friends today,' said Phillippa. Phillippa thanked the community for its support and her congregation for its prayers. She also thanked Father Moyo and Bishop Rose for deeming her worthy of such high honour. ALSO READ: Future Coal spreads hope through Mandela Day projects The news provided to you in this link has been investigated and compiled by the editorial staff of the Newcastle Advertiser, a sold newspaper distributed in the Newcastle area. Please follow us on Youtube and feel free to like, comment, and subscribe. For more local news, visit our webpage, follow us on Facebook and Twitter, and request an add on our WhatsApp (082 874 5550).


eNCA
24-07-2025
- eNCA
Adopted in US, Greek Cold War kids find long-lost families
Robyn Bedell Zalewa grew up and spent all her adult life in the United States, but is part of a little-known chapter of Greek history -- the adoption of some 4,000 infants during the Cold War. Always knowing she came from Greece, she rediscovered her long-lost sister Sophia, who lives in the Athens area, and regained her Greek nationality two years ago. Connecticut-based Robyn goes by the name of Joanna when in Greece. There's just one snag. Her sister Sophia only speaks Greek, so the siblings communicate through an online translator tool. "What hurts me the most is not being able to have a conversation with Sophia," the 68-year-old told AFP. At the close of the Second World War and a brutal occupation by Nazi Germany, Greece was consumed by civil strife between royalists and communists that saw fighting continue until 1949. With thousands of Greek families plunged into disaster and poverty, an adoption movement gained momentum in the 1950s and 1960s, which saw babies and children sent abroad for adoption, mainly in the United States. Gonda Van Steen, director of the Centre for Hellenic Studies at King's College London, told AFP that Greece "was the main country of origin of children adopted in the US in the early 1950s". "American childless couples were willing to pay any price for a healthy white newborn," said Van Steen, who has conducted extensive research and authored a book on the subject. Greek-American Mary Cardaras campaigned for years so that children born in Greece, who are now in their sixties or seventies, could retrieve their birth nationality. "What followed (the first adoptions in Greece) was a tsunami of international adoptions," she said, citing in particular China, Vietnam, Russia and especially South Korea, where at least 140,000 children were adopted by foreign parents between 1955 and 1999. - 'A better life' - In Greece, the biological mothers of adopted children were often impoverished widows, some of whom had been raped or faced social stigmatisation for having a child out of wedlock. "They saw no other solution than to give the child away for him or her to have 'a better life'," Van Steen said. Greece simplified in May the process of obtaining birth documents to specifically enable individuals adopted until 1976 to regain Greek nationality. On the terrace of an Athens café, Bedell Zalewa proudly pulls her Greek passport and identity card from her handbag. Even though she had her adoption certificate -- not all children did -- she began the process well before new regulations were implemented and had to wait a long time before regaining Greek citizenship. "I always knew I had been adopted in Greece," said the pensioner who was born in Messini, in the Peloponnese region, before being adopted in Texas. AFP | Angelos TZORTZINIS "What I've wanted my entire life is to find my family," said Bedell Zalewa, her eyes welling up. Her story is one of a tenacious search for one's roots. Bedell Zalewa found her brothers and sister and even met her biological mother before she passed away. As the youngest of five, she was apparently given up for adoption because her widowed mother was too poor to raise her. The ties she has forged in Greece encourage her to stay there whenever she can. Cardaras, the retired journalist who was adopted in the Chicago area and lived for a long time in California, also always knew that she was of Greek origin. She kept her Greek birth passport, which was originally revoked when she left the country as a baby. - Faces on the street - When she returned to her native country for the first time on a summer vacation in 1972, she remembers looking "at every woman's face" on the street. AFP | Angelos TZORTZINIS "I wondered... if she was my mother," she said. Everything felt familiar to her: "The smells, the atmosphere, I was completely at home." "But it was only when my (adoptive) parents died that I really began to question the first months and years of my life," Cardaras said. Now settled in Athens, she is taking Greek classes and is making progress in understanding her native language. Better access to Greek nationality constitutes a deeply emotional breakthrough for adoptees with fragmented backgrounds. One of them recently shared their experience on social media. "At 12:47 PM Greek time, I received a message announcing that I am now reinstated as a Greek citizen! I am overwhelmed with emotion, thrilled, and on cloud nine!" Stephanie Pazoles wrote on Facebook.