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.