Arugula, Feta and Cilantro Triangles

  • Yield: 28 pieces
  • Prep: 10 mins
  • Cook: 25 mins

The inspiration for these appetizers came from Greek spanakopita, which are tasty but just a little boring. This version gets some attitude from spicy arugula instead of spinach (though spinach is fine if you prefer), cilantro and fresh mint. The better the feta, the better the triangles will be.

Ingredients

1tablespoon olive oil
2tablespoons minced shallot
1/2teaspoon Coarse salt
2cloves garlic, minced
5ounces arugula or baby spinach leaves, any large stems removed, roughly chopped, rinsed well, and excess water shaken off
1/2cup roughly chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1/4cup chopped fresh mint leaves
1cup (4 ounces) crumbled feta cheese
1/4cup pine nuts, lightly toasted and chopped
1teaspoon finely grated lemon rind
1pinch Aleppo pepper flakes or cayenne pepper
1sheet frozen puff pastry (about 9 ounces), thawed
3tablespoons melted unsalted butter

Instructions

  1. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add shallots and a pinch of salt and sauté lightly until soft and fragrant but not browned, about 1 minute. Add garlic; cook for another 30 seconds. Add arugula and cook, tossing frequently with tongs, until wilted and tender, about 3 minutes. If there’s a lot of moisture left in the greens, press with the back of a spoon to release as much as possible and drain it off. Chop and transfer to a bowl.
  2. Add cilantro, mint, feta, pine nuts, lemon rind and red pepper. Taste and add more salt or pepper if necessary. Refrigerate until cool.
  3. On a lightly floured surface, roll pastry into a 12 X 21-inch rectangle. Prick with a fork at 1/2-inch intervals. Cut rectangle into 4 (3 X 21-inch) strips, then cut each strip into 7 squares, to yield 28 (3-inch) squares.
  4. With your finger and a little bowl of water, moisten two adjacent edges of a square. Spoon a rounded teaspoon of filling in center. Fold over to make a triangle, and carefully pinch edges to seal tightly. Repeat with remaining pastry and filling. Brush each triangle with melted butter. Cut a couple of tiny steam vents in top. Pace on baking sheets and chill about 15 minutes.
  5. Preheat oven to 400F.
  6. Bake until puffed and golden brown on top and bottom, about 20 minutes. Serve immediately.

Recipe adapted with permission from Martha Holmberg’s Puff (Chronicle, 2008).

Nutritional Info *per serving

  • Calories 90
  • Glycemic Load 0
  • Fat 7g
  • Saturated Fat 2.5g
  • Polyunsaturated Fat 2.5g
  • Monounsaturated Fat 2g
  • Cholesterol 10mg
  • Sodium 130mg
  • Potassium 35mg
  • Carbohydrate 5g
  • Fiber 1g
  • Sugars 0g
  • Protein 2g
  • Trans Fat 0g
  • Vitamin A 4%
  • Vitamin C 2%
  • Calcium 4%
  • Iron 8%