Spinach Pies Middle East Palestine Food

SPINACH PIES (MIDDLE EAST, PALESTINE)

Steps:

• Wash spinach, chop, and sprinkle with salt. Let stand for 15 minutes, then squeeze out the excess water.
• Mix with all the ingredients and set aside.
• Using the basic dough recipe that I have posted, take the 2 1/2" balls of dough and roll out to 4" circles (more like squares with rounded edges).
• Put a heaping tablespoon of spinach filling on each circle.
• Fold up from the bottom to the middle, and bring in sides to center to form triangle. (If you put one corner in front of you, then you would fold down the top corner, and bring in the sides, and you should have a triangle).
• Press down seams firmly and pinch ends together.
• Grease pan and place pies on the pan (seams down) and brush the tops with olive oil.
• Bake in a preheated 400°F oven until pies are golden brown. (I have a older gas stove, and had to turn my oven to about 325°F in order for the top and bottom to cook evenly, so adjust the temperature according to your oven).

PALESTINIAN SPINACH PIES

Steps:

• In the bowl of a standing electric mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine the 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour with the whole wheat flour, yeast, water, 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 3 tablespoons of the olive oil.
• Mix at medium speed until a soft, supple dough forms, about 10 minutes. Using oiled hands, transfer the dough to an oiled bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let the dough stand in a draft-free spot until slightly risen, about 1 hour.
• Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat the remaining 3 tablespoons of olive oil.
• Add the diced onion and cook over moderate heat until softened, about 7 minutes.
• Add the sumac and lemon juice and season with salt and pepper.
• Stir in the spinach and let cool completely.
• Preheat the oven to 450° and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Divide the dough into 10 pieces.
• Form each piece of dough into a ball, dust with flour and let stand for 10 minutes.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll each ball of dough to a 5-inch round. Spread the spinach filling over half of each round, leaving a 1/2-inch border.
• Brush the rims with water and fold the dough over to enclose the filling; pinch the edges to seal.
• Transfer the spinach pies to the prepared baking sheets and brush the tops with the beaten egg.
• Bake the pies for about 18 minutes, or until golden; shift the pans from top to bottom and front to back HALFWAY through baking.
• Transfer the spinach pies to a platter and serve warm or at room temperature.
• MAKE AHEAD: The cooled spinach pies can be tightly wrapped in foil and refrigerated overnight. Reheat the pies in the foil in a 325° oven.
• NOTES: Sumac is a fruity, tangy spice made from dried, ground berries. It is available at Middle Eastern markets and online from penzeys.com.

SPINACH PIE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. In a medium saute pan on medium heat, saute the onions with the olive oil until translucent and slightly browned, 10 to 15 minutes. Add the salt and pepper and allow to cool slightly. Squeeze out and discard as much of the liquid from the spinach as possible. Put the spinach into a bowl and then gently mix in the onions, eggs, nutmeg, Parmesan cheese, bread crumbs, feta, and pignoli. Butter an ovenproof, nonstick, 8-inch saute pan and line it with 6 stacked sheets of phyllo dough, brushing each with melted butter and letting the edges hang over the pan. Pour the spinach mixture into the middle of the phyllo and neatly fold the edges up and over the top to seal in the filling. Brush the top well with melted butter. Bake for 1 hour, until the top is golden brown and the filling is set. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely. Serve at room temperature.

SPINACH PIE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
• To a large pot, add the olive oil and saute the onions until browned. Add the scallions, dill, nutmeg, black pepper and salt.
• Boil the chopped spinach until blanched and still bright green, stirring occasionally. Mix it together with the ingredients in the pot. Add the crumbled feta cheese and the eggs, making sure that the mixture is slightly cool so the eggs don't scramble. Mix well.
• Brush 1 pound of the phyllo dough with melted butter, piece by piece, layering in a large enough tray to fit the phyllo sheets. Then add the spinach mixture on top and, piece by piece, layer and brush the rest of the phyllo on top. Mark the pieces with a knife and make sure the ends are tucked in, then sprinkle with a little water.
• Bake for 45 minutes, or until golden brown.