Egyptian Style Spinach Sabanek Recipes

EGYPTIAN SPINACH PIE WITH HAZELNUT DUKKAH

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• For the hazelnut dukkah: Toast the hazelnuts in the oven for 12 minutes. Let cool. Raise the oven temperature to 400 degrees F.
• Meanwhile, toast the coriander and cumin seeds in a saute pan over medium heat, about 1 minute.
• Grind the coriander, cumin and hazelnuts in a spice grinder. Mix with the sesame seeds.
• For the spinach pie: In a large skillet, saute the garlic and shallots in the butter over medium heat until softened. Add the spinach and cook until wilted. Add the dill, nutmeg and some salt and pepper. Let cool slightly, then stir in the Cheddar and mozzarella.
• Lay one sheet of puff pastry in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Spread with the spinach stuffing. Lay the other sheet on top, pinch the edges closed, and cut into six pieces. Sprinkle with dukkah and brush the edges with egg wash. Set the baking dish on a baking sheet and bake until the pie is golden brown, about 30 minutes.
• Sprinkle with the sumac and serve.

SPINACH TRIANGLES (FATAYER SABANEGH)

Steps:

• Place the chopped spinach in a bowl with a pinch of salt, and stir the spinach and salt for about 1 minute until the spinach begins to wilt and release its juice.
• In a separate bowl, combine the chopped onion with a pinch of salt, and stir for about 1 minute to wilt the onion. Add the wilted spinach, olive oil, sumac, pine nuts, lemon juice, and pepper, and stir to combine. Let the stuffing mixture rest for 5 minutes, and then drain off the liquid.
• Melt butter in a small saucepan over low heat, and set aside.
• Preheat an oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Place a phyllo sheet onto a flat surface, and brush it lightly with melted butter. Place a second sheet on top of the first sheet, and brush with melted butter. Cut each stack of 2 buttered sheets into 5 strips about 3 1/2 inches wide by 13 inches long. Cover strips waiting to be filled with a damp cloth while you fill and roll the triangles.
• To fold a triangle, place a tablespoon of filling centered at the top end of a phyllo dough strip, and fold the right corner across and down, to make a pointed, filled dough pocket at the top of the strip. Fold the pocket down one more turn, like folding a flag, to make a triangle shape. Continue to fold the triangle down and across the dough strip until you reach the end of the strip and you have a compact, filled triangle of dough. Repeat with the remaining filling and phyllo dough.
• Place the filled triangles onto the prepared baking sheets, and brush them with butter. Working in batches if necessary, bake in the preheated oven for 12 to 15 minutes per batch, until the triangles are golden brown.

EGYPTIAN STYLE SPINACH (SABANEK)

Steps:

• Wash spinach well and cut into small sized strips. I usually take a few leaves, and slice together into strips, leave the stem, not problem. (This does not have to perfect, you just want to get them into longer, smaller strips.) Set aside.
• Boil stew meat in water with the two sliced onion and two bouillon cubes. Cook until tender approximately 2 hours.
• Strain out meat and pour broth into a large bowl.
• In that same pot used for cooking meat, add chopped onion, garlic and butter and sauté until soft.
• Add tomato paste, all spices, and stir around until well coated.
• Add pureed tomatoes, ½ cup water and approximately 2-3 cups of broth. (You can add or decrease broth, depending on how thick you'd like it to be, check while cooking and add more or less broth. End result should be thick, but watery enough to be like a thick sauce -- hope that makes sense.).
• Bring to a boil, add spinach and simmer for 20- 30 minutes on low heat.
• Serve in bowls next to plates of rice and browned fideo noodles or with pita bread for scooping.

EGYPTIAN SPINACH PIE WITH HAZELNUT DUKKAH CRUST

Steps:

• Make the dukkah: Preheat the oven to 350˚ F. Pour the hazelnuts onto a baking sheet, then slip into the oven and toast until golden brown and fragrant, about 12 minutes. Pour the nuts onto one half of a clean kitchen towel, then fold over the other half. Rub gently to remove the skins. Pour the nuts onto a cutting board, finely chop and set aside.
• Set a cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Add the coriander seeds and toast, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the cumin seeds and sesame seeds and cook, stirring often, until fragrant and slightly darker in color but not burned, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir the seeds with the hazelnuts, then coarsely grind with a mortar and pestle. Set aside.
• Make the pie: Increase the oven temperature to 400˚ F. Set a large skillet over medium heat. Add the butter and cook until melted and browned just a little. Add the shallots and garlic; cook, stirring, until softened, about 3 minutes.
• Rinse the spinach. Drain, but don't worry about getting all the water off. Add the spinach to the shallot-garlic mixture in batches, stirring, until all of the spinach is wilted, 7 to 8 minutes. Stir in the dill and nutmeg; season with salt and pepper. Drain off any excess liquid. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly.
• Add the mozzarella and cheddar to the spinach. Stir well and let cool. (You can pop it into the fridge to hurry this along!)
• Place one puff pastry sheet in the bottom of an 8-inch square baking dish or 9-inch pie plate. Spoon in the spinach filling, using the back of a spatula to level it out. Layer the other puff pastry sheet on top, and then crimp the edges, cutting off any excess. Brush the beaten egg on the puff pastry and sprinkle with the dukkah spice blend. Put the pie on a baking sheet and bake until deep golden brown, 30 to 40 minutes. Sprinkle with the sumac. Let cool 10 minutes before cutting into the pie.

HUNGARIAN STYLE SPINACH (MAGYAROS SPENOTFOZELEK)

Steps:

• Melt butter in a small saucepan over low heat.
• Add garlic clove.
• Saute garlic in butter a minute or so.
• Do not let garlic burn or it will be bitter.
• Blend in flour to make a roux.
• Add salt and pepper and heat until mixture bubbles, stirring constantly.
• Remove from heat.
• Gradually add cream or milk.
• Return to heat and stir until mixture is smooth and thickened.
• Blend well drained spinach into sauce and serve.