COOKING WITH SPINACH

                                                   SPINACH PIE

1 ¼ kg (2 ½ lb) spinach, blanched, drained and finely chopped

1 large onion, peeled and grated

3 spring onions, trimmed and finely sliced

 2 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp chervil, finely chopped

2 tbsp Mediterranean hartwort, finely chopped

1 tbsp finely chopped dill

2 cups feta (if salty soak in water for 10 minutes) cubed

1 cup grated graviera from Crete

2 eggs, lightly beaten

10 sheets of phyllo pastry

2 tbsp dried breadcrumbs

120 ml ( ½ cup) melted butter

2 tbsp of olive oil to mix with the butter, optional

 

Sauce;

3 tbsp butter

3 tbsp cornflour

1 bay leaf

1 ½ cup hot milk

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Little salt

Grated nutmeg to taste

 

Sauté the onion in olive oil until transparent.  Add the spinach, herbs, pepper, and a little salt and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the liquid evaporates, about 15 minutes.

 

Meanwhile, prepare the sauce.  Stir the cornflour into the melted butter, add the bay leaf and cook for 2-5 minutes.  Pour in the hot milk and simmer stirring constantly until the sauce thickens.  Season with pepper, a little salt, and grated nutmeg to taste and simmer for 2 minutes and set aside to cool, discard the bay leaf.

 

In a large bowl, combine the eggs, and the 2 kinds of cheese with the sauce and mix well together.  Stir in the spinach mixture, taste, and add salt, pepper, and nutmeg if necessary and set aside to cool.

 

Line a buttered baking dish 5 sheets of lavishly buttered phyllo pastry and sprinkle with breadcrumbs.  Spoon in the filling, level the surface, and fold the overhanging pastry over. Place another 5 buttered pastry sheets over, trim the excess pastry and tuck it neatly down the sides.  Score the pie into portions, sprinkle with water and bake in an oven preheated to 180 C (350 F) for about 1 hour.

 

 

                                                    SPINACH QUICHE

½ cup light mayonnaise

½ cup milk

4 eggs, lightly beaten

240 g (8 oz) grated cheese

300 g (10 oz) frozen, chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry

½ cup chopped onion

1 ready-made pie shell

 

Preheat oven to 200 C (400 F) and line a biscuit tin with foil. 

 

In a large bowl, whisk the mayonnaise with milk until smooth. Whisk in eggs.  Layer, spinach, cheese, and onion into pie shell, making several layers of each.  Pour in egg mixture, place quiche on prepared biscuit tin and cover with foil.  Bake for 45 minutes, discard foil and bake for 10-15 minutes more until the top is golden and filling set.  

  

                                             SPINACH AU GRATIN

1 small onion, peeled and finely chopped

1 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp plain flour

¾ tsp salt

¼ tsp black pepper

¼ tsp dried thyme, crushed

1 kg (2 lb) spinach, rinsed, drained and chopped

1 cup milk

½ cup cream

3 tbsp melted butter

1 cup breadcrumbs

¼ cup grated Parmesan

 

Preheat oven to 180 C (350 F) and butter a gratin dish.  Sauté the onion in olive oil for 5 minutes, over medium heat.  Sprinkle the flour over the onion and continue cooking the mixture for 30 seconds. Add salt, pepper, dried thyme and spinach to the pan and stir until the ingredients are combined. Cover the pan with a lid and turn the heat to low and allow the spinach to wilt for 3 minutes.

 

Stir in the milk and cream into the spinach mixture and turn it out into the gratin dish.  Then mix together the melted butter, breadcrumbs and grated Parmesan over the gratin.

 

Bake for 25 minutes until hot and bubbly and the breadcrumbs have turned into golden brown.

 

       

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