Recipe: Spinach Bites

NEW ORLEANS — Over the course of its 300-year history, New Orleans’ cuisine has been one of its greatest gifts to the world. Now, as we celebrate the city’s 300th birthday and WWL-TV’s 60th anniversary, our gift to you is a free e-cookbook, with free summertime recipes.

Click here to download the free "Summer Favorites" cookbook as well as the previous editions with Recipes for Cajun cooking, Lent, Global Cuisine and Holiday Recipes.

This edition of our "360 In the Kitchen" cookbook series focuses on dishes that are perfect for the long, hot south Louisiana summer. Coping with the heat and humidity of a New Orleans summer has been a way of life here from the beginning. From salads and dishes with lighter sauces to icy cool desserts, our cookbook gives you some creative recipe ideas to try without sacrificing any of the flavor that New Orleans cooks are known for.

Spinach Bites

Ingredients:

• 1 10 oz. package frozen chopped spinach, thawed
• 1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled
• 1/2 cup green onions, finely chopped
• 1 tsp. fresh parsley, finely chopped
• 1 tsp. fresh garlic, pressed
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp. Creole seasoning
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 2 large eggs, separated
• 1 - 2 sheets frozen puff pastry, thawed but still cold

Directions:

1. Press the thawed spinach against a strainer with your hands until all of the water is out.
2. Mix the spinach, feta, scallions, olive oil, Worcestershire sauce, Creole seasoning, parsley, garlic and some salt and pepper. Taste the mixture and adjust for seasonings.
3. Beat one of the eggs in a small bowl and then fold it into the spinach mixture.
4. Roll out the defrosted puff pastry dough on a floured surface and cut it into 12 squares if you're planning on using mini muffin tins.
5. Place a square of dough into the muffin tin, push it against the sides and leave the corners draped over the edge. Spoon some of the spinach mixture into the center and fold the corners of the dough over the filling and pinch them together in the center.
6. Once you've used up all of the filling, beat the remaining egg with a tbsp of water and brush the tops with the egg wash and bake at 400 degrees until the pastry is golden and puffed, approximately 20 minutes.
7. Run a sharp knife around the edges of the pan to loosen and turn them out onto a rack to cool a bit before serving.

More Recipes:

• Baked Spinach Dip
• Caramelized Onion and Gruyere Bites
• Stuffed Mushrooms

Watch Chef Kevin Belton every Tuesday morning on Eyewitness Morning News on WWL-TV and WUPL.

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