Spinachy spinach pie with spinach.

Well Winter has hit on this side of the globe, and thus so has the flu.


Bastard.

I'm turning in to a little hermit who pre-makes meals for the freezer. In essence it will stop late night pizza ordering or chip eating (for serious, you can order until 3am here! Nobody needs pizza at that time!)

In reality, maybe I will just eat more because it's available in the freezer? I may have already eaten half of this pie...

This be the type of pie to knock out that Winter sickness from your body! I upped the garlic to help Muffin get on the road to mending his little strep throated man cold soul.

I shouldn't complain, Canada has been unseasonable warm this year. Christmas was 5C and when I was here 2 years ago it was -30C! (yes, that's a minus!) Ahhh, global warming, warming my soul*! 

Serve hot with fresh salad or leave to cool and slice at a beautiful picnic with wine and cheese and hummus and sesame seed crackers! Hey, I can dream that it's Summer....

spinach pie

3 packs frozen spinach

1 onion

4 cloves garlic

olive oil

1 teaspoon vegeta (or seasoning salt)

1 teaspoon pepper

1 Tablespoon dried oregano

2 Tablespoons tomato pasta sauce

250g cottage cheese

1/2 cup grated cheddar

1 egg (optional)

2 Tablespoons flour

2 sheets puff pastry

1 Tablespoon toasted sesame seeds 

Heat frozen spinach in big pan with the lid on until completely defrosted.

Transfer to colander (or clean tea towel) and press excess liquid out.

Heat olive oil in same pan and soften onion and garlic then add to large bowl.

Mix in vegeta, pepper, oregano, pasta sauce, cottage cheese, cheddar and flour.

Add whisked egg if the mix appears too wet (optional)

Place in fridge until cool.

Preheat oven to 190C (375F) and line a 9" spring form pan with 1 sheet of puff pastry, resting any excess pastry over the top edge.

Add cooled mixture and spread evenly.

Add 2nd sheet of pastry on top.

Tuck top pastry into bottom and squeeze slightly to seal.

Brush the top with either egg wash or olive oil and sprinkle on sesame seeds.

Bake for 45 minutes, covering half way if it is browning too quickly.

I serve mine with Thai sweet chili sauce.. is that weird? I always associate spinachy things with sweet chili. Am I the only one?! A freak of nature, I guess.

Merry Happy Spinach Days everyone. 

*just jokes.