Very few children grow up begging for a dish with spinach BUT I absolutely loved these Middle Eastern spinach pies growing up! These small hand pies, otherwise known as Fatayer in Arabic, can be filled with ground beef, mixed cheeses, or spinach with assorted spices. They are usually a hit with all the kiddos in our family. I imagine they would be super fun to get the little ones involved in making them! 

In the Time of Corona …

With Covid-19 taking over everyone’s lives the last few weeks, we’ve turned to more time intensive cooking projects to stay distracted and also to keep busy. With so many changes happening around us, cooking can be a great way to destress and feel productive. This recipe is a perfect project to keep the whole family occupied. Also, it’s worth mentioning that the pies freeze amazingly well, so make a few extra and save them for later. If you’re not one for long cooking projects, you can swap store bought pizza dough or even crescent roll dough and still use the same spinach filling with a similar result. 

A Note on Fresh versus Frozen Spinach

Spinach is such a versatile green! It’s full of vital nutrients, like Vitamin K, Vitamin A, and iron. It can be enjoyed both fresh and cooked. You can get it fresh or frozen. We can go on. We opted to use fresh spinach in this recipe as we’ve been fortunate to continue receiving fresh organic vegetables with our weekly CSA share via JBG organic. You can use frozen spinach as a substitute but I recommend draining the excess water thoroughly with cheesecloth or a paper towel. You also need to use a bit less – I recommend about 3.5-4 ounces of frozen spinach for this recipe. 

The Pie Dough and Filling

The dough is very simple and similar to pizza dough, requiring yeast, flour, sugar, oil, and water. It does require some time to rise, so you can work on preparing the filling during that time. The filling is mostly spinach and onion. We opted to add in some fresh herbs like mint and parsley along with some lemon and sumac for freshness. Sumac is a common spice in Middle Eastern cooking that has a fresh lemony taste. Locally, it’s carried at Whole Foods and Central Market. 

Once the dough has risen and the filling has cooled, the fun part begins! Start rolling out the dough and preparing the pies. We like the triangular shape, but you can really create them into whatever shapes you like. They bake fairly quickly and are best enjoyed fresh out of the oven. If you are freezing the spinach pies – I recommend freezing pre-baking! 

We hope you all continue to stay sane in the craziness that is our new normal. If you are looking for some other cooking projects we highly recommend trying your hand at homemade pasta with slow cooked ragu, braised short ribs, or some homemade focaccia (especially useful when all those grocery stores are out of bread)! Stay safe and healthy everyone!

Middle Eastern Spinach Pies

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Prep Time 1 hour hr

Cook Time 10 minutes mins

Course Side Dish

Cuisine Middle Eastern

Servings 16 Pies

Ingredients

  

Pie Dough

• 1 Packet Active Dry Yeast
• 1 Teaspoon Granulated Sugar
• 1 Cup Lukewarm Water
• 2½ Cups All Purpose Flour
• 3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 1 Teaspoon Kosher Salt

Spinach Filling

• 3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 6 Ounces Fresh Spinach Finely Chopped (can sub about 4 ounces frozen spinach)
• ½ Medium Yellow Onion Diced
• 1 Cup Fresh Parsley Chopped
• ¼ Cup Fresh Mint Chopped
• 1 Lemon Juiced
• 1 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
• 2 Teaspoons Sumac
• ½ Teaspoon Garlic Powder

Instructions

 

Making the Dough

• Combine the yeast, sugar, and water into a large bowl and allow to sit for 3-5 minutes until the yeast has bubbled.
• Next, combine the flour, salt, and olive oil in a stand mixer or large mixing bowl. Add in the yeast mixture into the flour and knead until the dough is soft and no longer sticks to the bowl.
• Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise for 30 minutes to 1 hour or until doubled in size.

The Spinach Filling

• Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add in the onion and cook for 3-4 minutes until translucent.
• Add in the spinach and herbs and continue cooking for about 10 minutes, allowing the greens to wilt and most of the liquid to evaporate.
• Then, add in the remaining ingredients - lemon juice, salt, garlic powder, and sumac. Cook for another 5 minutes, then remove from heat and allow to cool.

Making the Pies

• Pre-heat the oven to 450-500F
• Once the dough has risen, take a golf-ball size piece of dough and roll out onto a floured surface into a flat disc about the size of the palm of your hand.
• Fill with approximately 2 tablespoons of the cooled spinach filling in the middle of the disc.
• Wet the edges of the dough slightly with water and pinch the edges of the dough together to sear the filling in. We make ours into triangles.
• Continue until you have used all of the filling.
• Bake on a baking sheet at 450-500F for 10 minutes or until the dough is golden brown.