Spinach & Greens Torta with Sweet Potato Crust
To be completely honest... 
... I have NO IDEA what a torta is. And how it differs from a torte. Or a pie. Or spanokapita (which I LOVE).
But it sounded fancy. And it worked.
I don't even know when or how I came across the picture that inspired this little number. But sometimes - most times actually - a picture (rather than the actual recipe) is what serves as inspiration for the goods that come out of my kitchen. I love unassuming, unexpected twists. In this case swapping out phyllo (which I just typed as 'filo' and couldn't figure out why spell check didn't like it....thanks higher education) or a dough-y crust just makes sense.
Well, it makes sense in January.
Kinda like Baileys before noon makes sense in December.
Something else that makes sense in January is working on small improvements on oneself. And since this space qualifies as an extension of me, I am happy to share the first of what will be many improvements to the space this year in the recipe below.
The short story is I often get requests for a printer friendly version of a recipe. Ask and you shall receive.
The longer story is I often get requests for printed versions of my recipes and I appreciate that. I love my iPad but as much as I love my iPad it was definitely not meant for the kitchen. There is probably enough flour in the crevices of that thing for it to bake itself a cake. So I cook from mags and books a lot. Or printed recipes. Sidebar: It was actually one of the reasons I spent the last 8 weeks of the year putting this little collection of recipes together (signed copies available on request... and more on that little project soon.)
So as I have resolved to get better at the back end of this engine, my first step was to deliver on a popular ask - creating a printer friendly recipe. So there you go. Ask and you shall receive.
This torta (if you roll your r's it sounds extra fancy) came together so quick and easy. The Little guy LOVED it and kept peeling off the crust saying it tasted like pumpkin. I used a bag of "power greens" from costco as the base which is made up of baby kale, spinach, arugula & beet leaves. My inspiration recipe called for ricotta but I didn't have any so a bit of yogurt and cream worked great. I think the only must do here is make sure your greens are wilted and finely chopped and use a good binder. The herbs, greens and dairy can be pretty much winged. I used a very small springform pan as we are only three, but you could easily double the recipe for a larger group (and pan).
Although cliche for January, I admit I am looking forward to year of improvements in many areas of my life. And thanks to this recipe...
... I can now cross "make a better torta" off my list.
- 2 Tablespoons of Olive Oil
- 4 medium sweet potatoes
- 1/2 onion, finely chopped
- 2 large cloves of garlic, minced
- 4 cups fresh greens (baby kale, spinach, arugula, beet tops)
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 1/2 cup plain yogurt
- 2 Tablespoons mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup feta cheese
- salt and pepper to taste
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Peel sweet potatoes. Using a mandolin (or sharp knife) slice two of the potatoes lengthwise (to make long ovals) about 1/4" thick. Slide the other two crosswise into rounds.
- Add oil to skillet and heat to med-high. Place a layer of sweet potato slices in the skillet. Fry on both sides until tender when when pierced with a fork (about two minutes a side). Remove and place on a paper towel and repeat the process until all of the sweet potato is cooked.
- To the same pan, add the onions and garlic and sauté until translucent, a few minutes. Then toss in the greens (about a cup at a time) and cook until wilted.
- Transfer to a cutting board and finely chop.
- Place cooked greens in a medium bowl and add the remained of ingredients. Stir to combine.
- Line prepared springform pan with cooked sweet potato. Then pour in spinach mixture.
- Place in preheated oven and cook for 30 - 40 minutes, checking after 20.
- When done, gently run a knife between the edge of the pan and the potatoes. Release the spring and carefully remove the sides of the pan.
- Serve warm or can be refrigerated and reheated.