Spinach Pockets

Tonight's dinner was another freezer special. It's spinach pockets from the Real Simple website but I messed around with it a little bit. It's basically like spanakopita and it's heavenly. Salty and flaky and I can pretend like it's healthy since it has spinach in it. This is our new favorite recipe. It's easy to make after work and it's also easy to make extra to freeze. If you want to freeze it put the pockets together and then put in individual baggies and freeze. Then defrost in the fridge overnight and bake as usual.

Putting them in individual baggies makes it easier to bake as many as you want. Which is nice since half the time V doesn't eat much dinner more than cheese and crackers. He's one of those weird people who only eats one meal a day. It's kind of nice because it means we don't have to make dinner every night because I like having cereal for dinner sometimes! But it can be frustrating too when I plan on a meal and then he's not hungry. So tonight when he wasn't hungry I just pulled out on spinach pocket and had it for dinner with no more mess than a bowl of Cheerios. Yummy in my tummy.

Spinach Pockets

• 20 ounces spinach (Real Simple calls for 3 pounds but I find that to be too much, I just buy two containers and that's plenty)
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
• 1/2 cup ricotta cheese
• 2 scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced (I just use my kitchen shears and cut them as small as possible)
• 1 egg
• 1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1 1-pound package phyllo dough, defrosted
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 1/2 cup lemon juice
• 1/2 cup water
• 3 cloves garlic diced (RS says to thinly slice it but I think it's easier to just dice)

1. In a skillet, combine lemon juice, water, garlic cloves, and 1 teaspoon kosher salt. Bring to a simmer and cook spinach in batches until just wilted. Drain and set aside.
2. Heat oven to 400° F. In a large bowl, combine the spinach, Parmesan, ricotta, scallions, egg, salt, and pepper. Mix well and set aside.
3. Fold 1 sheet of phyllo in half crosswise and place on a lightly greased baking sheet. Brush the top with some of the butter. Top with another folded sheet and brush with more butter. Repeat one more time. Leaving a 2-inch border around the edges, place 1/4 of the spinach mixture at one end of the pastry. Roll up the pastry, tucking in the sides. Brush with more butter. Repeat to make 3 more individual pockets.
4. Bake in the oven until puffed and golden, about 30 minutes