recipes@decwrl.UUCP (02/06/87)
SPINACH-PASTRY(MV) USENET Cookbook SPINACH-PASTRY(MV)
SPINACH CHEESE CASSEROLE IN PUFF PASTRY
SPINACH-PASTRY - Spinach and cheeses in a puff pastry crust
A recipe of this type appeared in Cuisine Magazine. The
dish is hearty enough to be a main course, but can also be a
side dish to a meat entr'.
INGREDIENTS (Serves 4 to 6)
10 oz chopped spinach (fresh or frozen)
1 cup cottage or ricotta cheese
1 cup feta cheese (crumbled, and drained of any brine)
1/4 cup grated parmesan or romano cheese
1/4 cup chopped scallions
4 large eggs
2 Tbsp butter
pinch salt
pinch pepper
12 oz puff pastry (frozen pastry thawed to room tempera-
ture, or homemade)
PROCEDURE
(1) Preheat oven to 350 deg. F. Cook the spinach in
boiling water. Drain, rinse with cool water, and
squeeze out as much moisture as you can.
(2) Melt the butter in a small skillet. Cook the
scallions until slightly soft.
(3) In a large mixing bowl, combine the cheeses and
the eggs. Mix well. Add the spinach, the butter
and scallions, the salt and pepper and mix again.
(4) Lightly butter the bottom and sides of an 8-in
square baking dish.
(5) Roll out a sheet of puff pastry on a floured sur-
face to make a 14-in square. Roll out a second
sheet to make a 9-in square.
(6) Lay the bigger pastry sheet in the buttered dish,
draping the extra pastry over the edges.
(7) Spread the spinach and cheese mixture evenly in
the dish.
(8) Put the remaining pastry sheet on top. Trim
excess pastry if necessary and seal the edges
closed. Use scraps of pastry dough to decorate the
top of the pie. Brush top with additional melted
butter if desired.
(9) Bake for 45 minutes at 350 deg. F or until pastry
is golden brown. Let rest for 10 minutes before
serving.
NOTES
The casserole may be prepared through step 3, then covered
and refrigerated for up to 8 hours.
As an alternative to puff pastry, you might try using sheets
of filo dough, overlapped to make the bottom and top crusts.
I have also baked this dish in a pie pan using filo dough.
One way to cut down on the calories in this dish is to omit
the bottom crust entirely. This is a very flexible recipe.
Other vegetables can be substituted for the spinach, and
other ingredients like saut'ed garlic and mushrooms can be
added.
RATING
Difficulty: moderate. Time: 30 minutes preparation, 1 hour
baking and cooling. Precision: approximate measurement OK.
CONTRIBUTOR
Robin Harris Foster
AT&T Information Systems, Lincroft New Jersey, USA
ihnp4!mtuxo!rfoster
"The apple never falls far from the tree"