Borekas – Spinach and Cheese Pie

Now this is one recipe that you want to always keep around for last minute emergency entertaining. Every culture has a different form of this yummy puff pastry crust filled pie. There are versions with with savory meats to potatoes and cheese, to all kinds of veggies . All you do is sauté, stuff, tuck, roll, nip and melt, and no I am not talking about an afternoon spent at your favorite Beverly Hills Plastic Surgeon’s office, although this dish has enough calories to require a major liposuction session after lunch… A healthy version, sure… A bowl of steamed spinach, hold off on Puff Pastry and cheese!

At our house, my kids fight over the middle piece of the pie, where all the cheesy goodness and veggies and meats come together

INGREDIENTS

Makes Four (4) Servings

4 sheets of Puff Pastry (thawed in fridge)
3 Cup Cooked Fresh Spinach
2 Cloves Of Garlic Slivered
1 Large Onion Caramelized
½ Cup Pine Nuts
½ Cup Golden Raisins
2 Tbsp. Olive Oil
2 Tbsp. Butter
1 Cup Shredded Mozzarella
¼ Cup Parmesan Cheese
1 egg for egg wash
Salt & Pepper To Taste
Toasted Sesame seeds to garnish
Pepperidge Farms Puff Pastry Sheets
5lb. Bag of spinach washed and cooked down
2 8oz. Bags of Shredded Mozzarella
Golden raisins
Pine nuts

ASSEMBY

Pre-heat your oven to 425F.
Dice the onion and slice 2 cloves of garlic.
Heat some olive oil and 1 tbsp. butter in a pan over medium heat. Sauté the onion until golden brown. Add garlic slivers and sauté for another minute. Careful you don’t burn garlic
In a separate pan gently sauté pine nuts and set aside.
Also sauté golden raisins in 1tbsp. butter till soft and set aside.
Add the washed and cooked spinach in the pan, mix it with the onion and garlic and sauté till spinach wilts and there’s’ no liquid left on the pan. Toss in the raisins and pine nuts, set aside to cool.
Make an egg wash by whisking one egg and a little water together and set it aside
Cut the puff pastry sheets into three strips along the seems and roll out to make slightly wider
Spoon the spinach mixture in the middle of the pastry dough and top with sprinkled parmesan and mozzarella cheese leaving about 1/2 inch on all sides. Place another sheet on top of the spinach mixture and with your fingers press down to seal the edges. Then using a fork press down around the edges.
Brush pastry with egg wash and sprinkle the top with sesame seeds. Make cuts with a knife to allow steam to escape while baking
Bake at 425F for 20-25 minutes until they are golden

PRO TIPS

You can make these in advance and freeze them to have for an emergency meal to go to with a side salad.
You can make some many different versions, ground beef with tomato sauce and cheese or peas, potatoes and cheese.. Yum!
Slice thin on a bias and use as a tray passed appetizer
Don’t remove too quickly, dough can be under cooked
Never just make one!