Spinach Ricotta Feta Quiche Spanakopita Tart Recipes

SPINACH, RICOTTA & FETA QUICHE (SPANAKOPITA TART)

Steps:

• Place the flour, salt and butter in a bowl, rub in the butter until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs, stir in the cheese, followed by the egg yolk (save the white to use later). Add enough ice water to bring the mixture together into a ball, wrap in clingfilm and refrigerate for an hour.
• Roll the pastry out on a lightly floured surface to about the thickness of a pound coin and transfer it to a 25cm round tart tin. Press the pastry into the corners and leave the excess overhanging. Prick the base all over with a fork then place in the freezer for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 190C/375F/gas mark 5.
• Line the pastry case with baking parchment or tin foil, making sure there is some overhanging. Fill with baking beans, making sure that the sides are propped up then bake for 20 minutes. Remove the beans and parchment and brush the pastry all over with the reserved egg white. Return to the oven for a further 10 mins, until golden. Remove from the oven and use a very sharp serrated knife to trim off the excess pastry; set aside.
• To make the filling, defrost the spinach, place it in a sieve and press on it firmly to extract as much excess liquid as possible; finely chop it then tip into a large bowl. Mix in the ricotta, eggs and cream.
• Finely chop the spring onions and add to the bowl along with the parsley, dill, mint and garlic. Season well with salt and pepper and crumble in two thirds of the feta. Pour the mixture into the prepared pastry case and spread it level. Crumble over the remaining feta.
• Bake for 35-45 minutes, until set in the middle. Cover loosely with foil partway through baking if the top starts to colour too much.
• Allow to cool for about half an hour before serving.

SPINACH & FETA TARTS (SPANAKOPITA)

Steps:

• Heat oven to 400°F.
• Mix all ingredients except phyllo dough and butter until blended.
• Brush 1 phyllo sheet lightly with butter; cover with 4 of the remaining phyllo sheets, lightly brushing each sheet with some of the remaining butter before covering with next phyllo sheet. Cut into 6 (4-inch) squares. Press 1 phyllo stack into each of 6 muffin pan cups. Repeat with remaining phyllo sheets and butter.
• Spoon spinach mixture into phyllo cups.
• Bake 10 min. or until golden brown. Cool in pan 5 min. Remove to wire rack; cool slightly.

SPANAKOPITA (GREEK SPINACH PIE)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly oil a 9x9 inch square baking pan.
• Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Saute onion, green onions and garlic, until soft and lightly browned. Stir in spinach and parsley, and continue to saute until spinach is limp, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
• In a medium bowl, mix together eggs, ricotta, and feta. Stir in spinach mixture. Lay 1 sheet of phyllo dough in prepared baking pan, and brush lightly with olive oil. Lay another sheet of phyllo dough on top, brush with olive oil, and repeat process with two more sheets of phyllo. The sheets will overlap the pan. Spread spinach and cheese mixture into pan and fold overhanging dough over filling. Brush with oil, then layer remaining 4 sheets of phyllo dough, brushing each with oil. Tuck overhanging dough into pan to seal filling.
• Bake in preheated oven for 30 to 40 minutes, until golden brown. Cut into squares and serve while hot.

SPINACH-RICOTTA QUICHE

Steps:

• Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat; add onion and cook for 1 minute. Add spinach and cook, stirring occasionally, until starting to wilt, about 1 minute. Cover skillet and cook for 1 minute more, allowing condensation to build inside the skillet. Remove from heat, uncover, and stir.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Press pie pastry into a 9 1/2-inch deep-dish pie pan. Prick bottom and sides with a fork.
• Bake crust in the preheated oven for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside.
• Combine eggs, ricotta cheese, cream, Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, basil, salt, and pepper in a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth.
• Spread spinach and onion mixture evenly over the crust. Pour egg mixture on top.
• Bake in the preheated oven until center of quiche is set and the top is lightly browned, about 40 minutes. Allow to stand for 10 minutes before serving.

CRISPY GREEK-STYLE PIE

Steps:

• Put the spinach into a large pan. Pour over a couple tbsp water, then cook until just wilted. Tip into a sieve, leave to cool a little, then squeeze out any excess water and roughly chop. Roughly chop the tomatoes and put into a bowl along with the spinach, feta and eggs. Mix well.
• Carefully unroll the filo pastry. Cover with some damp sheets of kitchen paper to stop it drying out. Take a sheet of pastry and brush liberally with some of the sundried tomato oil. Drape oil-side down in a 22cm loosebottomed cake tin so that some of the pastry hangs over the side. Brush oil on another piece of pastry and place in the tin, just a little further round. Keep placing the pastry pieces in the tin until you have roughly three layers, then spoon over the filling. Pull the sides into the middle, scrunch up and make sure the filling is covered. Brush with a little more oil.
• Heat oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Cook the pie for 30 mins until the pastry is crisp and golden brown. Remove from the cake tin, slice into wedges and serve with salad.