Mar 28, 2012 88 Comments

Spinach and Feta Turnovers – Guest Post by Katherine Martinelli

Name: Spinach and Feta Turnovers
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 6 Turnovers
Ingredients: 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil; ¼ cup onion ((finely chopped)); 3 cloves garlic ((minced)); 7 ounces spinach leaves (leaves); Kosher salt ((for taste)); Freshly ground black pepper ((for taste)); 1 teaspoon lemon juice; 1 large egg ((separated)); 3 ounces feta cheese ((crumbled)); 12 ounces frozen puff pastry ((defrosted)); Za’atar ((optional) (See Notes))

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Today I invited my blog friend Katherine from Katherine Martinelli to Just One Cookbook as she just published her first e-cookbook called Puff Pastry at Brunch: 10 Sweet and Savory Recipes to Start Your Morning! I’m really excited because she’s my good blogger friend and this cookbook is about puff pastry! If you have been following my blog, you probably know that I rarely make desserts, and if I do, it’s mostly with puff pastry sheet. Without further ado, please welcome Katherine with delicious Spinach and Feta Turnovers!

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I am so honored to be guest posting Just One Cookbook today! Although Nami and I have never met I feel like we are friends. Even through emails and blog posts I can tell that she is a warm, kind soul who always tries to make time for everyone. I always enjoy emailing with Nami about blogging and food, and I want to try every single gorgeous dish that she makes. I feel so lucky to have Nami as a blog friend.

Today I am thrilled to share some very exciting news: I just published my first cookbook! It’s called Puff Pastry at Brunch: 10 Sweet and Savory Recipes to Start Your Morning and it is an e-cookbook. It was published by Hang Time Press, a lovely new media publishing house, and is available on Amazon Kindle and Barnes and Noble Nook for just $2.99. I hope you’ll check it out!

All the recipes in the book call for prepared puff pastry, an ingredient that I’ve become obsessed with in recent years. I always have some stashed in my freezer and I can’t begin to tell you how often it has come to the rescue. Here I’ve used it as the base for one of my favorite meals: brunch. Although there are only 10 recipes, each one is really just a jumping off point for other recipes and I provide lots of ideas for variations.

Living in Israel, I’ve been exposed to so many new cuisines. Bourekas, a kind of savory turnover, have become a staple of my diet and are the inspiration for this recipe. They are common throughout the Middle East, Mediterranean, and North Africa and come with all kinds of fillings, from potato to “pizza.” Spinach and feta is one of my favorite flavor combinations, and it works perfectly here. These are great for brunch, but work just as well as a breakfast on the run. I like to freeze some to reheat them for an easy snack.

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Spinach and Feta Turnovers

Prep Time

15 mins

Cook Time

30 mins

Total Time

45 mins

Course: Appetizer, Side Dish

Servings: 6 Turnovers

Ingredients

1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
¼ cup onion (finely chopped)
3 cloves garlic (minced)
7 ounces spinach leaves leaves
Kosher salt (for taste)
Freshly ground black pepper (for taste)
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 large egg (separated)
3 ounces feta cheese (crumbled)
12 ounces frozen puff pastry (defrosted)
Za’atar (optional) (See Notes)

Instructions

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until just softened (be careful not to burn the garlic). Add the spinach and cook, stirring often, until fully wilted, about 3 minutes.
Remove from the heat. Season lightly with salt and pepper and vigorously stir in the lemon juice and egg yolk (reserve the egg white for later). Transfer the mixture to a bowl and allow to cool.
Once the spinach is cool enough to handle, squeeze out as much liquid as possible and roughly chop. (I realize that it seems counter-intuitive to put liquid in then squeeze it out, but after countless test runs this process led to the best results.) Return spinach to the bowl and thoroughly mix in the feta.
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Roll out the puff pastry to a rectangle about 1/8 inch thick and 12 by 18 inches. Cut into 6 even 5 to 6 inch squares. Put a spoonful of the spinach-feta mixture into the center of each puff pastry square. Fold the puff pastry over to form a triangle. Press down with a fork along the edges to tightly seal.
Transfer the turnovers to the prepared baking sheet. Brush with the reserved egg white and sprinkle with za’atar, if using. Put in the oven and bake for 20 minutes, or until golden brown.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly before serving. Spinach-feta turnovers are excellent warm or at room temperature, and can also be made ahead and frozen.
To freeze, lay flat on a baking tray and put in the freezer. Once frozen, transfer to freezer bags. To re-heat, simply bake in a pre-heated oven for 10 to 15 minutes, until warmed through.

Recipe Notes

Za’atar: This is a Middle Eastern and North African spice blend most commonly made up of some combination of dried thyme, oregano, marjoram, sumac and sesame seeds. It is available at specialty food shops in the US and can be ordered from online spice shops such as The Spice House and Penzeys Spices.

Recipe by Katherine from Katherine Martinelli

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Filed Under: Recipes Tagged With: cheese, potato, puff pastry sheet, spinachRecipe type: Baked Good, Baking, Breakfast, Dairy, Dessert, Easy, Lunch, Main Dish, Make Ahead, Pie, Snack, Sweets, Vegetables, Vegetarian

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