Pascha Recipes
Ham and Spinach Pie
Yield: 4 to 6 servings
Ingredients
Pastry
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup butter
- 3 to 4 tablespoons water
Filling
- 1 (10 ounce) bag fresh spinach
- 2 whole leeks, washed and sliced
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1/2 cup chopped parsley
- 2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
- 1/2 pound (8 ounces) cooked ham, diced
- 4 eggs
- 1 cup light cream
- 2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
- 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper
Instructions
Pastry
- In a large bowl combine the flour and salt.
- Cut in the butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
- Add water and toss until a soft dough is formed. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill.
Filling
- Clean and stem the spinach. Stack and slice spinach leaves into 1/2 inch shreds.
- In a large saucepan, melt the butter. Add the spinach and leeks and cook until soft.
- add the parsley and garlic; cook, stirring, for 1 minute.
- Stir in the ham. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
- Heat oven to 450 degrees F.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll out chilled dough to fit the bottom and 1 inch up the sides of a 13 x 9 inch baking pan. Fit crust into pan. Line crust with foil and fill with pie weights.
- Pre-bake the pastry for 15 minutes, or until golden.
- Remove foil and pie weights. Let pastry cool.
- Place the spinach mixture in a large bowl.
- Gently mix in the eggs, cream, salt and pepper. Turn mixture into cooled pastry.
- Bake pie at 450 degrees F for 30 minutes or until filling is set.
- Let pie cool slightly, then cut into squares.
- Serve hot.