Cheesy Spinach Bourekas

Bourekas are a family favorite and not just because they are uber delicious, with all the flaky layers of butter dough. It is because they are so easy to make. Truth be told, this recipe is extremely easy and quick because the pasty puff is store brought. It would take me hours if I prepared the pasty puff dough at home. It is possible but just very time consuming. This was perfect quick filling meal after work on a weekday night!

If you didn’t know, Bourekas are a middle eastern pastry dish. They are generally savory and filled with meats, cheese and or vegetables, with either a thin pasty or puff pastry crust. This particular recipe is vegetarian, although it is not vegan since it goes contain cheese and eggs. I have been trying to add more leafy greens to our diet, so thought let’s make spinach Bourekas. After experimenting the sautéed garlic and spinach, I realized it wouldn’t taste delicious without some cheese and we have to add some kind of protein to make it perfect balanced meal. So, I ended up adding egg and two different types of cheese to this recipe. You can make this dish any way you like.

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Honestly, it took me literally 10 minutes of prep and 12-20 minutes in the oven. You have a meal ready in less than 30 minutes. I love to serve with side salad or soup. You can make the stuffing ahead of time and fill them when you want to eat them. They are perfect for parties, you can make them in any size and shape. I would highly recommend making these for your next party and prepare as a bite sized appetizer. So what are you waiting for? Go make these now!!

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Serves 4

1 sheet of puff pastry – cut in 4 squares (pepperidge farm brand)

4 ounces of baby spinach

5 garlic cloves finely chopped

2 jalapenos finely chopped

1 egg (omit if you don’t eat eggs)

4 ounce of ricotta cheese

2-3 ounce of crumbled feta cheese

1 tsp black pepper

Salt to taste

1 tbsp olive oil

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Method

Make sure to prep everything prior cooking. Thaw your puff pastry ahead of time. Pre heat oven to 400F. Chop spinach, finely chop garlic and jalapeños and set aside. Heat oil in a medium size pan over medium heat. Once hot, add finely chopped garlic and jalapeños. Sauté for a minute and then add chopped spinach. Keep stirring and sauté for couple minutes. Turn off the heat and let it cool.  Once cool, squeeze all the excess water out and keep spinach mixture aside. In a large bowl, add ricotta and feta cheese, salt & pepper, spinach mixture, and whisked egg. Mix thoroughly until mixture is uniform. Set aside.

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Line your baking sheet with parchment paper. Cut 4 squares of the puff pastry sheet once thawed. Evenly space your puff pastries on the baking sheet. Add spinach cheese mixture to the center of the squares, leaving 1-inch border. Lightly brush edges of pastry puff with egg white. (skip this part if you don’t eat eggs, you can use water instead.  Press edges with your finger or fork to seal the edges. Take a knife and make a small slit on top of the Bourekas, so steam can escape. Bake until puffed and golden brown. This process takes approximately 15-20 minutes. Serve them hot by itself as an appetizer or with side of salad or soup for meal.