USE IT ALL: GREEN POCKETS
These green pockets are the ultimate fast food! They are our version of gozleme and we’ve been making them for years. If it’s the weekend we’ll make the simple yoghurt dough, but on a weeknight we’ll pick up a pack of Greek pitas (the thicker, doughy sort) or souvlaki bread on the way home from work. We love this interpretation of gozleme because everything goes into the pocket uncooked. It is truly a 15-minute meal. When things get desperate we’ve even been known to put bolognese in there, with not a green leaf in sight. Of course, the kids loved it!
Makes 8
Ingredients:
2 cups (100 g) very thinly sliced green leaves:
English or baby spinach leaves
silverbeet (Swiss chard) leaves
kale leaves
rocket (arugula)
⅓ cup (10 g) finely chopped soft herbs:
mint
dill
parsley
200 g (7 oz) cheese:
ricotta
crumbled feta
grated haloumi
grated mozzarella
⅔ cup (70 g) grated parmesan
½ teaspoon salt
100 ml (3½ fl oz) olive oil
Lemon wedges, to serve
Spiced onion (optional)
½ small onion, very finely diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
½ teaspoon ground cumin
pinch freshly cracked black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons dried herbs, such as oregano, mint or basil
Simple yoghurt dough
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
1 cup (250 g) Greek-style yoghurt
2½ cups (375 g) plain (all-purpose) flour, plus extra for dusting
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
Method:
Combine the greens and herbs in a bowl. In a separate bowl, combine the cheeses and salt. You can leave the mixture here and it will be yummy and family friendly, but if you want to take it up a notch, it’s worth the extra 5 minutes to make the spiced onion; simply combine the ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.
To make the yoghurt dough, combine the oil, vinegar and yoghurt in a bowl and mix well. Sift in the flour and bicarb soda and mix with a wooden spoon until all the ingredients come together to form a dough. Tip out onto a floured work surface and knead for 10 minutes or until very smooth. Divide the dough into eight balls and place under a damp tea towel. Working with one ball of dough at a time, roll the dough into 15 cm (6 inch) circles.
To assemble, spread 2 tablespoons of the cheese mixture over half of each dough circle (or pita bread) and scatter 2–3 teaspoons of the spiced onion mixture (if using) on top. Add ½ cup of the greens and herb mixture, then fold the dough over to make a semicircle. If using homemade dough, pinch the edges to seal. If using pita, wet your hands and dampen the outside of each pocket and seal as best as you can.
Heat the olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Working in batches, pan-fry the pockets for 2–3 minutes each side, until golden brown. You can also brush each pocket with olive oil and grill them on the barbecue. Serve with a squeeze of lemon and a salad if you can be bothered, but there’s so many greens inside you hardly need to.
Combinations we like:
- Kale, parsley, feta and chilli flakes
- Rocket (arugula), mint, haloumi and lemon zest or chopped preserved lemon rind
- Baby spinach, basil, mozzarella and parmesan.