Spinach and Leek Pinwheels

This is a great appetizer for the holiday season, and the ingredients are always easy to find. You can also make these ahead and rewarm them before serving.

I use Dafour brand puff pastry because they make a vegan version, but any brand will work.  Some puff pastry brands have larger sheets, so if you are rolling out a larger sheet, you may need to make more of the filling. Also, make sure your dough is cold before you start to cut and roll it.  If it has been sitting at room temperature for awhile, it will be really soft and stickier and harder to work with.  Cool the spinach mixture and the mushrooms completely before putting them on the puff pastry or else their heat will cause the pastry to be too soft to work with easily.

I chose white button mushrooms, but you can use any kind you like.  Make sure they are fully cooked before adding them to the recipe because mushrooms release “juice” when they are cooking and it will make the puff pasty soggy if you use uncooked mushrooms.

I twisted the strips by holding each end in separate hands and turning them in two different directions to create a “ribbon” effect.  You can just roll them up without doing this step, just make sure you roll them tightly.  the twisting makes it easier to get a tighter roll, I have found.

Finally, depending on how you cut the strips, you will get large or small pinwheels.  If you cut them lengthwise, you will get about 1/2 dozen form one single sheet or 1 dozen from a whole package fo the pastry.  If you cut them from the shorter side, you will obviously have smaller pinwheels.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup sliced leeks
• 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 2 cups spinach
• 1 (8oz) package white button mushrooms, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon oregano
• 2 teaspoons oil
• 1/4 cup Greek yogurt
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 sheet of puff pastry
• about 2 teaspoons butter (melted)

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 400
2. In a pan over medium low heat, saute the leeks in 1 teaspoon oil for 5-10 minutes till soft (you can also choose to saute in water, but only use as much as you need to keep the leeks from burning and sticking.  Add more a teaspoon at a time if you need more.)
3. Add the garlic and saute 30 seconds till fragrant.
4. Add the spinach and wilt, stirring or turning so the garlic doesn’t burn.  When the spinach is cooked, remove the mixture from the pan and return the pan to the heat.
5. Add the remaining teaspoon of oil along with the mushrooms and oregano.  Cook until the mushrooms have released their juices and the juice has evaporated.  Remove from heat and allow to cool.
6. Combine the cooled spinach mixture with the yogurt and salt in a blender and puree.  Set aside.
7. Roll out the pastry to approximately 8×12, trimming any stray bits so that you have a more or less perfect rectangle.  Cut the pastry in half vertically.
8. Spread the spinach mixture onto one half and top with the mushrooms.  Place the second half of the pastry sheet on top and cut the pastry into strips (1/2-1″ thick). Twist each strip to resemble a curly ribbon, then rightly roll up the strips (like a cinnamon bun) and place each on a lined baking sheet.  Brush them with the butter. 

   

9. 
   Bake for 20-30 minutes or till golden.

Enjoy!