Recipe of the Day - May 22 (potato and spinach turnovers)
Potato Turnovers with Garlicky Spinach Filling
Ingredients
Turnovers
4 medium baking potatoes, or 2 1/2 cups unseasoned mashed potatoes
1 cup flour, preferably half whole wheat
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
2 tablespoons butter, melted
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup freshly-grated parmesan cheese
Salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
Filling
6-7 cups washed and packed spinach
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
Salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
Preparation
For the Turnovers
In a large pot, cover the potatoes with water and bring to a boil over high heat. Lower the heat and simmer, covered, 30-35 minutes, or until tender. Drain, cool slightly, and peel the potatoes.
In a small bowl, mix the flour and baking powder and set aside. In a large bowl, rice or mash the potatoes to equal 2 ½ ups. Add the flour mixture, butter, eggs, and cheese. Season with salt and pepper and mix thoroughly. Chill at least 1 hour.
For the Filling
In a large pot, bring 1 inch of water to a boil. Add the greens and steam 1-2 minutes, or until just wilted. Remove from the heat and drain. Squeeze the greens well to remove excess liquid, then transfer to a chopping block and chop roughly.
In a large frying pan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. When hot, add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly browned. Add the greens, season with salt and pepper, and mix well. Cook 1-2 minutes, then remove from heat.
Preheat oven to 450F.
To Assemble
Turn out the potato dough onto a well-floured surface with a rubber spatula. The dough will be soft. With your hands, form and pat the dough into a rectangle approximately 5 inches by 7 inches. With a well-floured rolling pin, form the dough into a 10-inch by 15-inch rectangle that is about 1/4 inch thick. You may have to trim the sides and add to the corners to get a rectangle. With a knife, divide the dough in half vertically and into thirds horizontally. (The result should be six 5-inch squares that will be folded in half diagonally to form triangles.)
Place a heaping tablespoon of the filling on the left-hand side of an imaginary line stretching diagonally from corner to corner of the dough square. Spread the filling to within 1/2 inch of the edge. Gently flip the unfilled half of the dough over the filling so that the top and bottom edges meet. With your fingertips press the edges together to seal, forming a dimpled pattern. With a spatula, transfer to a large oiled baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining squares.
Bake 18-20 minutes, or until browned. Serve warm.
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