Kitchen Witch - Pocket change
School back in session means busy days, eating on the run and fast-food fetishes. Let’s stop the madness before all those trans fats and sulfites eat their way into your arteries, shall we?
You want a Hot Pocket? Fine — let’s make ‘em instead. The dough is certifiably moron-proof, and spinach (or chard) is packed with nutrients. The one item of note is sumac, a brick-colored spice found in Middle Eastern groceries worth tracking down.
But here’s the best part: After the pies cool, you can wrap them individually in plastic, put in the freezer and then thaw/reheat as you need.
Spinach-Filled Fetayer
Adapted from The Language of Baklava by Diana Abu-Jaber
Dough:
1 envelope yeast
1 cup water (about 110 degrees)
1 teaspoon sugar
3 to 4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup olive oil
Filling:
2 medium onions, minced
5 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound spinach or chard, drained and chopped
Juice of 1 lemon
1/4 cup pine nuts
3 teaspoons ground sumac
Salt and pepper to taste
• In a small bowl, add yeast, water and sugar. Stir until dissolved. Cover until foamy, about 15 minutes.
• In a large bowl, add 3 cups of the flour, salt and olive oil; create a well in the middle and add yeast mixture. With a rubber spatula, gently mix ingredients until it starts to resemble dough. Turn out onto a floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. Add more flour if overly sticky.
• Place dough in a greased bowl and cover with plastic or a towel. Let rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour. Punch down and let rise again for 30 minutes.
• In a medium skillet, saute onions in 3 tablespoons of oil until soft. Add rest of filling ingredients. Cook until tender and liquid has reduced a bit, about 10 minutes. Take off heat and cool slightly.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Cut dough into 12 pieces. Roll out each piece into a 5-by-5-inch square, about 1/4-inch thick. Place 1 teaspoon of filling in center of square and fold on a diagonal, making a triangle. Pinch ends to seal. Brush with remaining oil.
• Bake 15-20 minutes, until golden brown on bottom. Makes about 12 turnovers.
E-mail kimodonnel@creativeloafing.com.