A Savory Splurge: Spinach, Black Bean and Feta Puff Pastry Cups

Fresh lettuces and other greens are plentiful right now at farmers markets in the area. I came across a gorgeous bunch of spinach, bought it, brought it home, and decided to make this dish using it.

The filling is so seriously nutritious with black beans, spinach, garlic, onions, lime juice and coriander- each ingredient contributing quite a healthy punch. The puff pastry shells…not so much. The way I see it, as long as there is nutritional merit to the majority of the dish, you can be a bit more liberal with a splurge ingredient like puff pastry. Of course a much healthier variation would be to spread the filling onto a whole wheat tortilla to make a burrito.

I used dry black beans from a local Missouri farm but certainly using canned black beans (or any beans for that matter) could be used.  When cooking dried black beans, I cook a big batch in a crock pot and freeze the remaining beans for later use.

Spinach, Black Bean and Feta Puff Pastry Cups

(recipe adapted from Sauce Magazine May 2012 issue)

1 Tbsp. olive oil

½ cup chopped onion

2 cloves chopped garlic

2 cups fresh spinach

½ tsp. ground coriander

1 cup cooked black beans

2 Tbsp fresh lime juice

black pepper to taste

½ cup crumbled feta cheese

6 puff pastry cups

1. Pre-bake the puff pastry cups according to package directions.

2.  Heat oil in sauté pan; add onion, cook for about 1 minute, then add spinach, garlic and coriander, cook 2 minutes more.

3. In a food processor, pulse together the onion/spinach mixture, black beans and lime juice until just mixed. Season with pepper.

4. Spoon black bean mixture into puff pastry cups, top with feta cheese.

until next time...