Kale Spanakopitas 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.

FETA AND KALE SPANAKOPITA SPIRAL

Steps:

• Heat a dash of oil in a large frying pan, and add the chopped onion. Cook over a medium heat for 5 minutes or so, stirring regularly, until soft and translucent. Add the garlic and chopped kale, and cook for a further 5 minutes. Transfer to a large mixing bowl, and leave to cool.
• In the same pan, gently heat the Primula cheese with the milk, until it creates a smooth sauce.
• Add the cheese sauce to the kale mixture, along with the crumbled feta, pine nuts, chopped parsley, and a good pinch of salt and pepper. Mix thoroughly to combine.
• Heat the oven to 190°C (Gas Mark 5 / 375°F).
• Lay a large sheet of filo on a flat surface, and lightly spray all over with oil. Lay another sheet on top. Spoon about a third of the kale mixture along one of the long edges of the filo, and roll.
• Spray again with oil, and place it onto a lined, greased baking tray, curling tightly to create the centre of the spiral. Don't worry if you end up with a couple of small tears in the pastry - just use a scrap of filo to cover the gap, and tuck in any loose edges.
• Repeat with the remaining pastry and kale mixture, adding the next two rolls to the spiral working outwards.
• Spray the entire spiral with oil, and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake until the filo pastry is golden brown and crispy - mine took about 50 minutes, but check it intermittently, as the thin pastry can burn if not watched carefully.

SPANAKALEPITA

Steps:

• For the spanaKALEpita: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease two 8-inch round (or square if you have) baking dishes with clarified butter.
• Heat the olive oil in a large saute pan set over medium heat. Add the onions and sweat until they are almost translucent and fully tender, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the kale in stages, reserving about a quarter of the kale for the salad, and increase the heat to medium-high. Continue to cook the kale, turning with tongs, until all is fully wilted. Season the kale mixture with salt and pepper. Add the red chile flakes and fold into the mixture, allowing the chile flakes to bloom, for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the water from the feta and stir to combine.
• Remove the pan from the heat and carefully pour the mixture into the bowl of a food processor. Process to help disperse the heat and steam, then let cool slightly. Add the feta and process until just combined. Put the kale mixture into a bowl and add the lemon zest and juice, parsley and oregano. Stir again until the mixture is fully incorporated. Allow the mixture to cool for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally to release any trapped steam. Taste the mixture and adjust seasonings if necessary. Add the beaten eggs and mix again.
• For the assembly: Remove two sheets of phyllo dough from the package to a large (at least 30 inches long by 20 inches wide) working surface so that they lay next to each other. Brush 1 inch of the right edge of the first sheet with melted butter and overlay the second sheet. Brush the melted butter over the entirety of both sheets. Add the filling 3 to 4 inches away from the closest edge, in an even layer, keeping it as uniform as possible, in a cylindrical line on the buttered phyllo sheets. Fold the bottom edge over the top of the filling, then butter the top surface with melted butter and repeat until you have a long log. Wind the log into a tight spiral and add to the prepared baking dish. Brush the top with more melted butter. Repeat with the remaining filling and phyllo, placing 2 logs in each baking dish. Bake until flaky and golden brown, 30 to 35 minutes.
• For the yogurt topping: Meanwhile, combine the Greek yogurt, dill, lemon, and salt and pepper to taste in a small bowl. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Add to a squeeze bottle and keep refrigerated until ready to serve.
• Add the reserved kale to a large bowl and toss with the lemon juice and olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
• Remove the baking dishes from the oven. Squeeze the Greek yogurt mixture over the top of the spanoKALEpita. Garnish each baking dish with the kale salad.

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.