Cuisine: Mediterranean
Meal: Lunch or Dinner
Style: Vegetarian Main Entrée
Yield: 14-16 individual turnovers
Spanakopita is a Greek savory pastry with a filling of chopped spinach, feta cheese (sometimes in combination with ricotta cheese), onions or green onions, egg, and seasoning. The filling is wrapped in layers of phyllo pastry with butter and/or olive oil, either in a large pan from which individual servings are cut, or rolled into individual triangular servings. For our purposes, we are using puff pastry squares instead of phyllo dough for easier handling and faster preparation when making dozens at a time. You can add crumbled tofu to the filling for added protein.
Ingredients
olive oil ¼ cup
onion, chopped 2 ea
green onions, chopped 2 bunch
leeks, white parts only, chopped 2 ea
fresh dill, chopped 1 bunch
garlic, minced ¼ cup
Spinach, frozen, DRAINED WELL 4 lb
Cooked rice 1 cup
fresh parsley, chopped 2 bunches
Eggs, lightly beaten 4 ea
ricotta cheese 1 cup
feta cheese, crumbled 2 cups
Puff Pastry squares (5x5), thawed 14-16 ea
Butter, melted ½ cup
Method
Thaw and squeeze dry spinach. Remove as much water as possible. In a sauté pan cook the onion and leeks in the oil until translucent. Add the dill. Add the rice. Season with salt and pepper and cook for a little longer. Let the mixture cool then add the spinach, egg, ricotta and feta cheese. mix well. Spoon 1 or 2 oz of the mixture onto a puff pastry square. Pinch the corners of the puff pastry to seal into a triangle. Repeat. Place the turnovers on oiled sheet pan. Brush the turnovers with melted butter an place in a 400 degree oven (350 convection) for about 15-20 minutes or until the puff pastry has puffed up and is golden brown. Garnish with chopped parsley and serve.
Comments