California Live correspondent Blanche Shaheen is joined by her mother Vera to share their special family-favorite recipe for spinach pies. This Arab delicacy is made with a triangular pocket of fresh bread dough filled with a lemony blend of spinach, sweet onions and sumac.
Arab Style Spinach Pies (Fatayer) Recipe:
For the dough
·Using store bought pizza dough, cut the dough into 3-inch pieces, and roll into balls. Place them on an oiled pan and cover with a towel. Let the dough rest for 30 minutes before filling.
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Filling Ingredients
· 4 large bunches fresh spinach, washed and chopped
· Salt, to taste
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· 3 tablespoons olive oil
· Juice of 1 lemon
· 1 onion, finely grated
· 1 tablespoon sumac (available at Middle Eastern stores), optional
· ¼ cup feta crumbled cheese (optional)
Method
· Wash and chop the spinach. Sprinkle with salt to cause wilting. Squeeze the water from the spinach with your hands. Add oil, lemon, salt, onion, and sumac if using. You can also add feta cheese if you wish.
· Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
· Use a rolling pin to roll each ball into a flat circle about 4 inches in diameter. Place 1 tablespoon spinach filling in the center. Pinch ends to meet in the middle to create a triangular shape. Let the pies rest 15 minutes. Coat a baking sheet with oil and bake pies for 15 minutes or until browned.
