Cheese and Spinach Pie

I was rummaging around in my mother’s old recipe box, as I occasionally find myself doing, and came across one of her handwritten recipes. It was written on the front and back of two 3" x 5” index cards. The fact that my mother had written this out by hand in such length indicated to me that she really liked it. The recipe was for Cheese and Spinach Pie. The recipe called for a homemade double crust piecrust. Nope. Not having it. I don’t make piecrust unless I absolutely have to (a gun is being held to my head, for example), and it seemed to me that using it in this recipe would be way too carb-laden. So I kept the filling as is, and decided to use puff pastry instead. The result was wonderful.

 This is like nothing I have ever experienced before. My friend Alycia (of the Tablescapes at Table/Twenty One blog) asked me if it was more like quiche, or more like spanakopita. Truth be told, it’s not like either one of those things. This is something unique. I enjoyed it as a main dish for dinner one night, and the next day I had it for breakfast. Naturally, it would work well for lunch. It keeps in the refrigerator, for a couple of days, but when you reheat it, make sure you do so in the oven so as not to make the crust soggy.

Cheese and Spinach Pie

3 T. butter
1 medium onion, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 10-oz. pkg. frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1 8-oz. pkg. shredded mozzarella cheese
1 15-oz. container ricotta cheese
¾ c. dried breadcrumbs
1 t. chopped fresh dill (or ½ t. dill weed)
5 large eggs, separated
1 t. salt
Pepper, to taste
One sheet frozen puff pastry

In 4-quartsaucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Cook onion and garlic in melted butter until tender, stirring often, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in spinach, mozzarella, ricotta, breadcrumbs, dill, four egg yolks, and salt.

Beat five egg whites until stiff peaks form. With wire whisk, gently fold egg whites into cheese mixture until well blended; set aside

Preheat oven to 400° F. Roll one sheet of puff pastry into a 12” x 12” square. Place it into a 9-inch deep-dish pie pan. Spoon spinach mixture into the center of the puff pastry, and smooth out. Lift each corner of the puff pastry over the filling to the center until all corners meet. Combine remaining egg yolk with 1 teaspoon of water and brush over pastry.

Bake for one hour or until knife inserted into center comes out clean.

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

 

Baked Cinnamon Sugar Churros

 

 You may have been wondering, or perhaps not, just what I served for dessert after yesterday's meal. After a mound of rice and a chili dog, something light is definitely called for. Thank goodness for puffed pastry, another freezer staple that I always have on hand, and seriously panic, when I use up the last box. The inventor of frozen puff pastry is on my “genius” list. Surely this must be the most versatile item that I have in my kitchen. A simple sheet of puff pastry can yield a quick snack, elegant appetizer, be rolled into something sweet or savory, top a pot pie, and make dessert as elegant as a Napoleon, or as simple as today's churros. Thawing a sheet of puff pastry, slicing it, separating the slices, baking it, and then rolling it in melted butter and a mixture of cinnamon and sugar is all it took to make a yummy, light, baked dessert, and made a great little sweet roll for breakfast the next morning. The ability to keep these overnight is huge. Imagine whipping up a basket of these to serve along with a bowl of fruit and freshly brewed coffee the next time you have overnight guests. You'll be a rock star. Tell them that you baked for ages. Your secret is safe with me. 

Baked Cinnamon Sugar Churros

Recipe from Six Sisters’ Stuff

Ingredients:
1 sheet frozen pastry puff sheet, thawed
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, melted

Directions:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.  Unfold and cut puff pastry sheets in half lengthwise, and cut each half crosswise into 1-inch-wide strips. 

 Place strips on a lightly greased parchment paper or Silpat-lined 

baking sheet. 

Bake 8-10 minutes or until golden brown (mine only took 8 minutes). Meanwhile, combine sugar and cinnamon.  Remove pastry sheets from oven and dip in butter, then roll in cinnamon-sugar mixture.  Let stand on a wire rack 5 minutes or until dry.

Makes 18 churros.

This post is linked to:

Sweets for a Saturday

Sugar and Spice

Sunday Sweeties