Spanokopita a la Gopi

Hey folks!

I had another fun afternoon experimenting in the kitchen today! :-) Came up with another version of my gridle breads which reminds me of the delicious spanokopita which I had in a friends home in Bosnia many years back. Hence, Spanokopita a la Gopi! ;-)

Dhanvantari said these were soooo good and more than passed the yum test! With him being a very selective eater, thats high praise! But hey, how can you go wrong if there's cheese in it, hehe?! :-D

Generously serves 5 hungry folks! :-)

Ingredients:
Pastry:
Approx 3 1/2 cups sprouted wheat flour (Arrowhead Mills)
2 TBSP non-gmo corn starch
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp sea salt
1 TBSP ghee
Warm water as needed

Mix dry ingredients evenly. Add ghee and warm water. Knead til smooth and elastic. Set aside.

Filling:
1 pkg chopped spinach, steamed til thawed
Approx an equal amount of chunky sliced cheese ( I used a cheese which tasted like salty creamy mozzarella - but have no idea what it was called bec a friend gave it to me in a ziplock bag!)
1/2 cup stuffed green olives, rinsed off and sliced in halves
1 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp asafoetida
1/2 tsp blk pepper
3/4 tsp sea salt

Mix everything together evenly and set aside.

Break off pieces of the dough and roll into balls approx 1 inch in diameter. Flatten in your palm and roll out on a flat smooth surface, into circles approx 2 inches wide, 2 mm thick. Sprinkle rolling surface with flour to prevent sticking.

Place a 1 1/2 heaped TBSP's of spinach cheese filling into the center of the circle.

Pull the sides of the filled circle together like a drawstring purse and pinch closed. It should look abit like a dried fig! :-) Turn it over pinched side face down on your palm and gently press it flat.

 Carefully roll into approx a 3/4 inch thick circle on a lightly floured surface. You need to do it with a light touch because you want to keep the pastry intact so the filling doesn't burst through.

Heat a cast iron griddle on medium low heat. Add a tsp of ghee and when melted place a flat bread on the griddle. I put the side which was pinched closed face down first because it needs more time to cook. Allow to fry for approx 3 minutes or til dappled dark and golden brown. Smooth a dab of ghee over the uncooked surface and turn.

Place another dab of ghee on the cooked surface and ease the spatula over it, gently pressing with the flat back of the spatula. It should cause the pastry to puff up a little.

Remove from heat after approx 3 minutes or when dappled golden brown. Place on a paper towel to remove any excess ghee. Voila! That's it. Offer with love, and enjoy your homemade stuffed griddle bread with a side of fancy salad! (see below for recipe) :-)

Fancy Feta Salad
Here's a lovely salad to serve with your spanokopita gridle breads! :-) Dhanvantari ate almost all of it by himself! :-D

 Ingredients:
3 handfuls of green spring mix
1 big ripe avocado, washed, peeled and sliced
1/2 cup halved cherry tomato's
1/2 cup dried sweetened cranberries
1/4 cup roasted salted sunflower seeds
1/2 cup feta cheese crumbles
2 TBSP apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 TBSP extra virgin organic olive oil
A dash of maple syrup
A sprinkle of blk pepper

Mix all ingredients together evenly and serve asap! :-)