Spinach Pie

Spinach Pie made with biscuit dough and topped with strips of red pepper and dried dill weed, baked in a loaf pan.                                                                                                      (c) Robin Grose

Ed: For me as a South American man, this is a real comfort food. You could say It’s just a simple savory pastry, and it is, but for me this delicious baked spinach pie is a memory attached to my soul.

As a child in Lima, Peru, one of my favorite lunches or substantial snacks was what my mother called Pastel de Acelgas, Swiss Chard Pie.  (Curiously, Mom learned to cook from her dad.  I never saw my grandmother do anything in the kitchen.) I would devour two or three pieces at a time of this delicious dish that was made of chopped green leaves, eggs, and milk, and had a top and bottom formed from crusty puff pastry dough. Even though I tried some other versions of the dish like artichoke hearts pie and asparagus pie, the traditional chard one was always my favorite.

Time passed, and Mom did not cook anymore because of her advanced age. Through the years I began to enjoy making the same delicious pie, but with a slightly different main ingredient that for me has a milder flavor than chard: the greenest vegetable of all, spinach.

Spinach has smaller leaves than chard, and the stems and leaf veins are much softer and smaller. This recipe has a bottom and top layer of puff pastry dough (or phyllo or ready-to-bake biscuit dough, depending on preference and availability) and a filling made of finely chopped spinach leaves folded into a mixture of beaten egg with a little evaporated milk. It is delicious and very easy to prepare, so I offer this recipe so you can start making your own spinach pie memories!

Additional South American delights:

• Argentinian-Style Beef Empanadas
• Peruvian Chicken Cau Cau
• Intro to Peruvian Hot Peppers
• Tuna-Stuffed Avocado Halves

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Spinach Pie

Enjoy the understated elegance of this South American savory pastry as a main dish for lunch or a hearty snack.

Course Main Course, Snack, starter

Cuisine Latin American

Keyword savory pie, South American, spinach

Prep Time 25 minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes

Resting 30 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 40 minutes

Servings 10

Calories 260 kcal

Author Ed Valdizan / comboplate.net

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 sheets (about 8 x 11 inches each) prepared puff pastry OR rolled-out ready-made biscuit dough OR phyllo dough Approx 1.1 pound or 490 grams dough, total
• 4 large bunches fresh spinach with very green leaves
• 1 ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 ½ teaspoon white pepper
• ½ teaspoon garlic paste or garlic powder
• ½ medium yellow onion diced
• 5 large fresh eggs
• 1 cup evaporated milk
• 2 tablespoons sesame seeds optional

Instructions

1. In a square, rectangular, or round glass or metal baking pan (size can vary anywhere from a large loaf pan to 13 x 9 inches pan), pour the tablespoon of vegetable oil; smear it well with a pastry brush (or a piece of paper towel) to oil the bottom and sides of the pan.

2. If frozen, thaw the two sheets of dough for about 45 minutes at room temperature. Lay one sheet of dough in the bottom of the greased baking pan. It does not necessarily have to cover all the sides; the important thing is that it cover the entire base well. Set aside.

3. On a cutting board, cut or chop all of the spinach leaves (already washed and well-drained) into 1-inch pieces. Pour all the chopped spinach into a large bowl.
4. Add the salt, pepper, ground garlic, and diced onion to the spinach and stir well with a large spatula.

5. In a small bowl, beat the eggs, just until it’s all the same color. Pour about 10 percent of (equivalent to ½ egg) into a cup or small dish and set aside for later. Stir the evaporated milk into the bowl with most of the beaten egg, then add this to the spinach mixture. Finally, with the same spatula fold everything well and pour the mixture into the pastry-lined baking pan.

6. Use the other half of the dough to cover your pie.

7. With a pastry brush, coat the top of the pie with the reserved beatn egg. Sprinkle some sesame seeds on top for decoration, if desired.

8. Bake your spinach pie at 375F/191C degrees for 45 minutes or until it is browned on top and well-cooked on the inside. If you insert a long fork in the middle and see that it comes out clean, you´ll know that your delicious spinach pie is done.

9. Remove your delicious spinach pie from the oven and let it rest for about half an hour at room temperature. Cut slices or squares, then serve warm or at room temperature. Refrigerate any leftovers; these reheat nicely in the microwave or over low heat on the stove.