A crunchy Israeli classic
Spinach and Cheese Borekas
Servings
3 Servings
Ingredients
- 1 10- oz package frozen spinach thawed, squeezed of excess water
- 1 egg lightly beaten
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- 1 cup grated mozzarella cheese
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 16- ounce package of phyllo dough thawed
- 1/2 cup 1 stick unsalted butter, melted
- 1 large egg beaten
- Toasted sesame seeds for sprinkling
Instructions
- Combine spinach, egg, ricotta, mozzarella, garlic, and nutmeg in a bowl and mix well. Season with salt and pepper to taste and set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and lightly grease the bottom of a baking sheet with butter or cooking spray.
- Place the thawed phyllo dough on a flat surface and cover it with a lightly damp dishtowel to keep it from drying out when not in use.
- Remove one sheet of dough and place it on a flat surface. Cut it lengthwise into 4 and a 1/2-inch wide strips (you’ll end up with 2 or 3 strips per sheet of dough). Working quickly, brush the dough strips with melted butter. Fold one side of the strip over lengthwise to meet the other (like closing a book) and brush again with more butter.
- Spoon 1 teaspoon of filling at the bottom end of each buttered strip. Fold the bottom right corner of the strip upwards, towards the left edge to make a triangle. Then fold the triangle over to the opposite side. Continue folding upwards in this manner until you are left with a fat triangle with the filling tucked safely inside.
- Brush the outside of the triangle with a little more butter and place on the baking sheet. Repeat with additional pieces of phyllo until all of the filling is used up. Just before baking, brush the filled borekas with the beaten egg and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes.
- Recipe by Leah Koenig.
I think so, or you can bake them and freeze them.
Can these be assembled, frozen, and baked at a later date?
Sounds interesting. I usually make borekas with feta cheese and cottage; never used spinach, ricotta or mozzarella. Can’t wait to try these!