My kids love this recipe. It is super easy and their favourite way to eat spinach. It is a take on the traditional Greek dish 'Spanokopita', but a quick and easy version, and yes I use store-bought puff pastry.
Facts
Spinach is an excellent source of vitamin K, and B vitamins, and also a source of Iron. Start offering green foods like spinach when you start solids and keep up exposures, it can take time for babies and children to learn to accept and like the flavour of green vegetables.
Personally, my preference for this recipe is to use a fresh bunch of spinach as the flavour is so much nicer, but it is also perfectly fine to use frozen spinach, especially if that is easier to keep on hand.
Ingredients
1 x Large bunch of fresh spinach or 2 x 250g packets of frozen spinach
1 x Egg
1 x White onion finely diced
100g of Feta
1/2 cup of grated cheddar cheese
2 x sheets of store-bought puff pastry
olive oil
1/2 cup of water
A sprinkle of fresh dill (optional)
Method
Take 2 x puff pastry sheets out of the packet and place them to the side to thaw.
Wash the fresh spinach well under running water, and then chop, you can remove the thick large stalks.
In a large pot add a tablespoon of olive oil, the chopped spinach, and 1/2 cup of water, and cook until the spinach is wilted. Set aside to cool.
If you are using frozen spinach follow the cooking instructions on the packet.
While the spinach is cooling, add some olive oil to a pan and gently fry the onions until translucent, and then add to a bowl.
Once the spinach is cooled use your hands to squeeze out any excess liquid from the spinach (don't miss this step or your filling will be wet and soggy), you can also give it another chop to make sure you have small bits of spinach.
Place the spinach into a bowl with the onions, crumble in the feta, and add in the cheddar cheese, egg, and dill (optional). Stir ingredients until well combined.
Grease a glass or ceramic baking pan with a little olive oil and line the bottom and sides with the puff pastry, leaving some of the pastry for the top. Use a fork to poke lots of holes through the bottom layer of the puff pastry (this will help to keep it from getting soggy).
Add in the spinach filling and spread out evenly over the pastry. Use the remaining puff pastry for the top and fold over the sides to seal in the filling, you can gently pinch the puff pastry together around the edges. Poke a few holes in the top with a fork.
Bake in a preheated oven at 180C for around 30 minutes until the pastry is flaky and golden.
Once cooked let it cool slightly and slice and serve.
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x Anna