Kale Spanakopita Cups Recipes

KALE SPANAKOPITA

Steps:

• Place the kale in a large pot with a lid, adding only an inch or so of water to create steam. Turn the heat to high until the water boils, then lower it to medium and steam the kale for about two minutes or until it is slightly wilted.
• Drain the kale in a colander, pressing out as much liquid as you can into a bowl. When the kale is cool enough to be handled, squeeze it out in paper towels or a clean tea towel to remove more liquid. It is important that the kale be as dry as possible. Chop it finely.
• Heat the olive oil in a skillet, and sauté the onions over low heat until they are slightly soft, about five minutes. Add the green onions and sauté a few more minutes.
• Transfer the onion mixture to a medium bowl. Add the chopped kale, dried fruit if using, mint, dill, feta cheese and pepper. Combined lightly, then allow the mixture to sit and cool slightly. Lightly mix in the beaten eggs.
• Lay down one sheet of filo, short side toward you. Brush the bottom half of the sheet sparingly with the butter/oil mixture.
• Fold in half, toward you, to form a rectangle, positioning the rectangle so that the short side is near you.
• Using a knife or sharp blade, cut the folded filo in half lengthwise. You now have two long strips of double filo. Start with the first and put a spoonful of filling on the bottom left corner. Brush the rest of the strip lightly with the butter mixture.
• Fold the lower right-hand corner of the filo towards the other edge to form a triangle. Don't worry if a bit of filling comes out. By the time you turn the sheet a few times it will be fully encased. Keep forming triangles as if you were folding a flag until you reach the top of the filo.
• Brush the top lightly with the butter mixture. If there is a bit of an uneven edge, fold that over. The butter will keep it in place.
• To bake the kale spanakopita, preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Place the pastry triangles on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until they are nicely browned.

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.

KALE AND PECAN SPANAKOPITA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 200'C, gas mark 6. Melt butter in oil in a large wide-based pan, and gently fry the onions for 10 minutes to soften. Add the pecans and garlic, cook for 1 minute, then stir in the kale and 1 tbsp water (you may need to do this in batches). Season, cover and simmer gently for 8-10 minutes until tender. Uncover and cook for 2 minutes, then drain in a colander. Allow to cool.
• Put the cooled kale mixture in a large bowl and fold in the nutmeg, feta, eggs and dill.
• Brush an ovenproof dish (about 20 x 30cm, 8x12 in) with oil. Use 4 filo sheets to line the dish, brushing with oil and overlapping as you go. Put in the filling and spread it evenly over the dish. Fold over the excess pastry.
• Oil the remaining filo and use it to top the pie, oiled side up. Use a sharp knife to score the top into 6 equal pieces. Scatter with caraway seeds and bake for 30-35 minutes until golden and crisp. Serve warm or at room temperature.