Kale Spanakopitas Recipes

KALE SPANAKOPITAS

Steps:

• Pre heat oven to 375 F.
• Heat half of oil over medium heat in a medium pot. Add onion and cook until translucent. Add spring onions and cook until wilted. Remove from heat and set aside.
• Heat the other tbsp of olive oil in the pot. Add kale, and cook, in batches, until completely wilted. You may need to add additional oil to the pot between batches. Adding a few tablespoons of water also helps the kale to wilt. Add the kale to the onions and allow to cool.
• Add the eggs, Parmesan, 3 tablespoons of bread crumbs, nutmeg, pepper, feta and pine nuts to the kale and onions. Gently mix.
• To assemble the spanikopitas: Place a sheet of phyllo pastry on a clean, working surface. Paint the pastry lightly with melted butter, and sprinkle with breadcrumbs (around one teaspoon). Place a second phyllo sheet on top of the first and repeat. Repeat this process until you have 4 layers of phyllo, with the top brushed with melted butter and sprinkled with breadcrumbs.
• Cut the phyllo lengthwise in half to get two long rectangles. In the bottom left-hand corner of one of the rectangles, place ⅓ of a cup of the filling. Fold the bottom left-hand corner of the pastry towards the top right, as if you were folding a flag. Continue folding until you have a triangular-shaped pastry.
• Place spanakopitas on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Brush tops with melted butter, and sprinkle with sea salt, if desired (however be aware they are not lacking in salt with all the feta). Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until they become golden.
• Best served immediately but these also keep well in the fridge for several days and freeze well.

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).

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.

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.

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.