Kale Spanakopita Recipes

KALE SPANAKOPITA

Steps:

• Place the kale in a large pot with a lid, adding only an inch or so of water to create steam. Turn the heat to high until the water boils, then lower it to medium and steam the kale for about two minutes or until it is slightly wilted.
• Drain the kale in a colander, pressing out as much liquid as you can into a bowl. When the kale is cool enough to be handled, squeeze it out in paper towels or a clean tea towel to remove more liquid. It is important that the kale be as dry as possible. Chop it finely.
• Heat the olive oil in a skillet, and sauté the onions over low heat until they are slightly soft, about five minutes. Add the green onions and sauté a few more minutes.
• Transfer the onion mixture to a medium bowl. Add the chopped kale, dried fruit if using, mint, dill, feta cheese and pepper. Combined lightly, then allow the mixture to sit and cool slightly. Lightly mix in the beaten eggs.
• Lay down one sheet of filo, short side toward you. Brush the bottom half of the sheet sparingly with the butter/oil mixture.
• Fold in half, toward you, to form a rectangle, positioning the rectangle so that the short side is near you.
• Using a knife or sharp blade, cut the folded filo in half lengthwise. You now have two long strips of double filo. Start with the first and put a spoonful of filling on the bottom left corner. Brush the rest of the strip lightly with the butter mixture.
• Fold the lower right-hand corner of the filo towards the other edge to form a triangle. Don't worry if a bit of filling comes out. By the time you turn the sheet a few times it will be fully encased. Keep forming triangles as if you were folding a flag until you reach the top of the filo.
• Brush the top lightly with the butter mixture. If there is a bit of an uneven edge, fold that over. The butter will keep it in place.
• To bake the kale spanakopita, preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Place the pastry triangles on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until they are nicely browned.

KALE SPANAKOPITA CUPS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (or the temperature according the package directions). Brush a 12-cup muffin pan or 24-cup mini muffin pan with olive oil or melted butter.
• Heat the 1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat and add the onions. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, for 1 minute. Add the kale and cook, stirring occasionally, until wilted, about 5 minutes. Season with pepper and a pinch or two of salt. Remove from the heat and let cool.
• Transfer to a medium bowl, add the feta, parsley and oregano. Stir to combine, taste and add salt and pepper, to taste. Stir in the egg until combined. Set aside.
• Unroll the phyllo sheets and cover with plastic wrap, followed by a damp kitchen towel. (You can use the plastic the sheets were rolled in.) Remove 1 sheet of phyllo and place on a clean work surface. Brush with melted butter or olive oil. Place a second sheet on top and brush with more butter or oil. Repeat until you have a stack of 4 phyllo sheets. Using a 3-inch round cookie or biscuit cutter, cut the stack into rounds. Place 1 stack of phyllo rounds in each cup of the prepared muffin pan, pressing in to form a cup shape. Repeat the process with the remaining phyllo sheets until all the muffin cups are filled. Divide the kale and feta filling equally among the phyllo cups.
• Bake until the phyllo is lightly browned and the filling is heated through, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and serve the spanakopita cups warm or at room temperature.

SPANAKOPITA WITH KALE AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 430 degrees F (220 degrees C).
• In a large pot over medium heat, fry the Onion (1) in a little olive oil until lightly browned.
• Stir through the Kale (800 gram) and season with Ground Black Pepper (to taste) and Ground Nutmeg (5 milliliter). Reduce the heat, add the Sea Salt (to taste) and leave to wilt.
• Removing the pot from the heat, stir through the Cream Cheese (400 gram) and add the Garlic (3 clove) and Fresh Dill (5 sprig). If required, season the kale mixture again and leave to cool to room temperature.
• Using a wet tea towel to keep the excess pastry damp while you work, layer three sheets of Phyllo Dough (500 gram) down on a flat surface, brushing Olive Oil (250 milliliter) between each one.
• Use a sharp knife to slice the phyllo sheets lengthwise into three sections. Working with one section at a time, dollop a heaped tablespoon of the kale mixture at the top of the pastry and fold it over into a triangular shape, making sure the edges of the phyllo are aligned. Repeat this movement until you have a triangular pocket.
• Arrange the folded spanakopita across a lined baking sheet and brush with more olive oil. Sprinkle a few Toasted White Sesame Seeds (to taste) over the top of the pies and bake for 20 to 40 minutes or until golden brown.
• Leave the pies to cool slightly before serving with Tzatziki (to taste).

SKILLET SPANAKOPITA

Steps:

• In a large (preferably 10-inch) cast-iron skillet, melt 3 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Add the leeks and garlic, season generously with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 5 minutes. Add one large handful of spinach at a time, sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper and stir until wilted, until you've added and seasoned all of the spinach and the mixture is thoroughly combined, about 12 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat and let cool.
• Arrange an oven rack in the middle position, and heat the oven to 400 degrees. In a large bowl, combine the parsley, dill, Parmesan, lemon zest and juice, and nutmeg, and stir to combine. Working with about 1 cup at a time, transfer the spinach mixture to a fine-mesh strainer or sieve set in the sink and press the mixture to remove as much liquid as possible, then add to the parsley mixture. Stir to combine, and season to taste with salt and pepper. (Feta is salty, so season very lightly with salt here.) Stir in the eggs, then gently fold in the feta, doing your best to leave the larger chunks intact.
• Prepare the phyllo crust: Wipe the skillet clean with a paper towel. In a small saucepan over low heat or in a microwave-safe bowl in the microwave, melt the remaining 5 tablespoons butter; set aside. Brush the bottom and sides of the skillet with melted butter. Working quickly with one phyllo sheet at a time, lightly brush the top of one sheet with butter, then lay it in the skillet, buttered-side up, with an overhang on all sides. Gently press it in to eliminate any large air bubbles between the phyllo and the pan. Repeat with the remaining phyllo sheets, rotating each sheet in a different direction as you add it.
• Spoon the spinach-feta mixture into the skillet, spreading in an even layer. Working with one tip of overhanging phyllo dough at a time, starting with the top layer first, lift it over the spinach-feta mixture and toward the center of the pan, loosely crinkling it as you go. Repeat with all of the phyllo sheets, then lightly brush the exposed surface of the phyllo with butter. (You should have a circle of uncovered spinach-feta mixture in the center, surrounded by a ring of crinkled phyllo dough.)
• Cook over medium heat on the stovetop for about 5 minutes to crisp the bottom crust. Transfer to middle rack of the oven, and bake until phyllo is golden and the filling is warmed, 20 to 25 minutes.
• Remove from oven, and let sit 10 minutes to cool and firm up. Sprinkle small sprigs of parsley and dill over the spinach-feta mixture, if desired. Slice into 6 to 8 wedges to serve. The spanakopita can be served warm or at room temperature.

KALE AND PECAN SPANAKOPITA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 200'C, gas mark 6. Melt butter in oil in a large wide-based pan, and gently fry the onions for 10 minutes to soften. Add the pecans and garlic, cook for 1 minute, then stir in the kale and 1 tbsp water (you may need to do this in batches). Season, cover and simmer gently for 8-10 minutes until tender. Uncover and cook for 2 minutes, then drain in a colander. Allow to cool.
• Put the cooled kale mixture in a large bowl and fold in the nutmeg, feta, eggs and dill.
• Brush an ovenproof dish (about 20 x 30cm, 8x12 in) with oil. Use 4 filo sheets to line the dish, brushing with oil and overlapping as you go. Put in the filling and spread it evenly over the dish. Fold over the excess pastry.
• Oil the remaining filo and use it to top the pie, oiled side up. Use a sharp knife to score the top into 6 equal pieces. Scatter with caraway seeds and bake for 30-35 minutes until golden and crisp. Serve warm or at room temperature.