As you age, it becomes harder and harder to cook complete and healthy meals for yourself and your family. However, according to scientists, this is the time when your body needs the nutrients the most.
Although gourmet recipes are no longer an option, there are several delicious and easy recipes that you can make to impress your partner, family, and friends.
This spinach and feta pastries recipe is easy, fairly quick, and saves well. So, those living alone can make a batch and eat them for lunch all week long. Plus, this recipe is fun for little ones, so if you have grandchildren who like to bake, this can be something you make together.
Spinach and feta pastries are naturally vegetarian and considered a healthy meal. While they aren’t gluten—or dairy-free, they can still fit into most diets!
Ingredients for Spinach and Feta Pastries
- 1 small onion (can buy pre-diced)
- 1 large bag of spinach (as large as you can buy)
- 1 package feta cheese (can buy pre-cubed)
- 1 roll of pre-made pastry dough (or a package of pre-cut squares)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 pinch pepper
How to Make Spinach and Feta Pastries (Step by Step)
Dice the onions if you didn’t buy pre-diced.
Place the onions in a sauté pan with the olive oil, and sauté on medium heat for 2 minutes.
Once the onions are done, start adding spinach slowly, one handful at a time. While spinach is big in the bag, it will cook down much smaller.
After the spinach cooks down, add another handful. Repeat this process until the entire bag is gone. On the last handful, add in the salt, pepper, and garlic, stirring to mix it.
When all the spinach is cooked down, remove it from the stove and set it aside to cool. In the meantime, open your roll of pastry dough and lay it out on a pan lined with baking paper. Preheat the oven to the temperature listed on the dough package. If you didn’t buy the pre-cut pastry dough, cut it into squares at this time. The squares should be at least 4 inches by 4 inches.
Scoop large spoonfuls of the spinach mixture onto each square. If you have a little spinach mixture left over that’s okay; set it aside for now.
Top each pile of spinach with 4-5 cubes of feta cheese.
Now comes the only hard part. Use your hand to press the spinach and feta together in as small of a ball as possible. After you remove your hand, quickly pull one side of the dough to meet the other, forming a pocket.
Once the pocket is formed, pinch the edges to seal them. This is an excellent job for small hands.
After all of the pockets have been formed and sealed, place the pan in the oven and set the timer following the dough instructions. I recommend at least 15-25 minutes for full baking.
Check on the pastries frequently, when they are golden brown all over, they are done. Remove from the oven and allow them to cool for 5 minutes.
Once they are cool, they are ready to eat! Eat them with your hands or slice them and use a fork. Enjoy!
Variations of Spinach and Feta Pastries:
- Add honey to each pastry to add a little sweetness.
- Replace the feta cheese with a dairy-free cheese alternative.
- Experiment and stuff the pastries with other types of veggies and cheese!
- Use Pillsbury pre-made crescent dough; although they are triangle-shaped, you can press two together to make a rectangle, and they are delicious when stuffed!
Tips for Spinach and Feta Pastries
- Use pre-cut ingredients: The hardest part of this recipe is cutting the dough and onion; if you can, buy this pre-cut to make it easy on yourself.
- Bake in advance: These pastries save amazingly well, so make them in advance for a big event and just pop them in the oven to reheat when guests arrive.
- Don’t fill them too full: The biggest mistake people make is trying to put too much in their pastry. If you can’t close it, remove some filing and try again.
What to Serve With Spinach and Feta Pastries
We find these are an excellent breakfast or lunch all on their own. But if you want to eat them for dinner, prepare sides like a mixed green salad or vegetable soup to serve as a side.
How to Store Spinach and Feta Pastries
After they have cooled, place them in a large Ziploc bag and put them in the fridge. These pastries stay good for 5 days after their initial baking.
How to Reheat Spinach and Feta Pastries
The pastries can be reheated by setting your oven to 350°F and placing the pastries directly on the rack for 15-20 minutes or until heated thoroughly. Remove from the oven with a spatula and enjoy!
Check Out Our Other Easy Recipes for Seniors:
Recipe Card
Spinach and Feta Pastries
Yield: 8
Time: 45 minutes (20 minutes prep, 25 minutes cooking)
Directions:
1. Slice the onions and place in a sauté pan with the olive oil.
2. Sauté for 2 minutes, then add the spinach one handful at a time, stirring as it cooks down.
3. Once the spinach is all cooked, add the salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
4. Roll out the pastry dough. Preheat the oven to the temperature listed on the package.
5. Slice the pastry dough into squares if not pre-sliced.
6. Scoop a bit of spinach onto each square and add 4-5 pieces of feta.
7. Compress the filling with your hands and close the pastries, sealing the edges.
8. Place in the oven and bake for 15-25 minutes or for the time outlined on the package.
9. Remove from the oven once all pastries are golden brown.
10. Allow the pastries to cool for 5 minutes, then eat!
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