making an hors d'oeuvre or making history?

today is a historic day, regardless of the outcome. whether you swing left, right, or somewhere in the middle, you will likely be glued to the coverage in some way. it seems election parties are cropping up everywhere, and depending upon what happens, they will either be celebratory or just plain sad.

which candidate you vote for may be a tough decision for some people, but for me, my hardest decision has been what to bring to the election party i am attending. i always feel more pressure than most when it comes to bringing an hors d'oeuvre or appetizer, because when you are a chef people tend to have high expectations. but in this case i also felt some sort of pressure to find a treat that had some sort of election theme to it. or at least a clever name like ba-rock shimp popcorn or mc-candy-caines. but i don't have the stomach for things like that. literally and figuratively.

this time of year, though, funds tend to run low and the last thing i want to do is go out and have to buy a bunch of expensive ingredients all in the name of impressing a bunch of people with my finger foods. so i tend to use my creativity to wow them instead. looking at my (practically) empty cupboards, fridge, and freezer- i quickly took stock of what i could make.

there was risotto for risotto balls- but those require a deep fryer of sorts and are therefore not exactly healthy. beans for bean dip- but i find that a bit boring, plus i think the last time i hung out with these folks i brought something similar. that's when i saw it: spinach, feta, and some puff pastry. puff pastry is one of those things that people just can't say no to. personally, i am not the biggest fan just because i don't find it to be all that visually pleasing, but hey, i need an app- stat.

traditionally, spanakopita is known as a greek pastry that has spinach, feta, occasionally ricotta, onions, egg, and seasoning- all wrapped in flaky phyllo dough. i have made this version, and while it is delicious, i have made my own version that is a little different, and a little more exciting if you ask me.

with the substitution of puff pastry, instead of phyllo, these "spanakopita" will be more like spinach and feta turnovers, mini-style. i also like to add a little chopped red onion (for bite), garlic, Parmesan cheese, and a touch of cream cheese. my version is a bit more finger food friendly, as the traditional version is usually eaten with a fork and knife, like a piece of pie.

without any further ado, here is the recipe i am using for my election party hors d'oeuvre. or as i would like to call it, popeye popovers. i usually make it a bit differently, but according to my pantry, etc...this is what i had, so here it goes.

1.5 pounds cooked spinach (you can use fresh or frozen- frozen is MUCH easier, aka quicker)
5 cloves garlic, minced
2 shallot, minced
12 oz (1-2 pkg) feta cheese
1.5 cup greek yogurt, or 1 cup cream cheese
a few dashes Tabasco (liberal- if you can handle it) or squeeze of fresh lemon juice- acid is good
salt and pepper to taste
1 pkg frozen puff pastry, thawed
egg wash

pre-heat oven to 400º
mix together all the ingredients, save the puff pastry (obvi)
adjust seasoning
roll out puff pastry and cut into 16 squares
roll out each square individually, brush with egg wash, and place teaspoon of spinach mix
form into a triangle, making sure sides of pastry are sealed well.
once all of the triangles are formed, brush with rest of the egg wash
for best result, place in refrigerator for 15-20 mins, and then place in the oven for 18-25 mins, repositioning sheet tray occasionally.
let cool and serve.

and let freedom ring!