Spinach Pie
Here's a good way to get your kids to eat their spinach.
1 lb. frozen spinach
1-1/4 cups ricotta cheese
2 garlic cloves
3 large eggs
pinch of nutmeg
1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
3 Tbsp. fresh grated Parmesan
2 packages puff pastry*
salt to taste
1. Bring the spinach to a boil to thaw it and simmer for a few minutes, remove from heat drain and let cool.
2. Once cool squeeze out the excess water and then chop the spinach thinly.
3. In a skillet heat the olive oil and garlic cloves. Once hot add the spinach and cook at a medium heat for about 5 minutes mixing frequently.
4. In a bowl combine the Ricotta cheese with the parmesan until soft then add the spinach and the nutmeg (remove the garlic cloves from the spinach). Lastly mix in 3 large eggs (beaten) and salt to taste.
5. Now roll out the puff pastry until it is nice and thin (a little thinner than a normal pie crust) and put it in a 9" springform pan. Roll it out so that it is big enough to come out over the top of the pan.
6. Add the spinach filling to the pan. Note that it will only be about half full.
7. Roll out some more puff pastry to cover the pie and lay it on top.
8. Now about 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch above the filling, cut away the excess pastry. Then pinch the top and bottom together. Finally fold the pinch edge down so that it doesn't burn.
9. Poke the top with a fork a few times and then bake in a preheated oven at 325° for about 30 minutes or until golden brown.
10. Remove from oven when done and let it cool off before serving.
This can be served with a salad or as an appetizer.
* The quantity of puff pastry varies from one brand to another. In my case I need two packages to make both the upper and lower crust.