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spinach roll with cheese sliced and served with small tomatoes.
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4.34 from 3 votes

Spinach Roll

Delicate spinach roll filled with cheese and herbs, a nice, fresh appetizer for an easy brunch.
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Total Time35 minutes
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: Romanian
Servings: 12 -14 slices
Calories: 171kcal
Author: Adina

Ingredients

  • Spinach roll:
  • 450 g/ 1 lbs packet frozen spinach See note 1
  • 100 g/ 3.5 oz/ scant ½ cup smetana/ crème fraiche
  • 3 large eggs
  • zest of ½ organic lemon
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • 80 g/ 2.8 oz/ ⅔ cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • Filling:
  • 170 g/ 6 oz/ 1 ¾ cups grated cheese Gouda
  • 200 g/ 7 oz/ scant 1 cup cottage cheese See note 2
  • 60 g/ 2 oz/ ¼ cup unsalted butter soft
  • 2 tablespoons chopped dill
  • 2 tablespoons chopped chives
  • fine sea salt and ground black pepper

Instructions

Spinach roll:

  • Let the frozen spinach thaw in a fine mesh sieve. When the spinach is completely thawed, take handfuls of it and squeeze well to remove the excess water. Chop, if not already chopped. Place in a bowl.
  • Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius/ 360 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking tray of about 25x35 cm/ 10x13 inches with parchment paper.
  • Add the smetana or crème fraiche, the lightly beaten eggs, the grated zest of half organic lemon and 1 tablespoon lemon juice to the spinach in the bowl. Mix well with a fork.
  • Mix the flour and the baking soda together and add them to the mixture. Stir well.
  • Pour the mixture into the prepared tray and spread evenly. Bake for 15 minutes.
  • Immediately remove the baked batter from the tray together with the parchment paper. Roll tightly together with the parchment paper. Let cool completely.

Filling:

  • In the meantime, if using regular cottage cheese, let the cottage cheese drain in a fine mesh sieve. Pat a bit dry with kitchen paper and mash it with a fork before adding it to the filling.
  • If using dry Turkish fresh cheese, it will be enough to mash it with a fork.
  • To make the filling mix together the grated cheese, cottage cheese, soft butter, herbs, salt and pepper to taste.
  • When the roll is completely cold, unroll it. Spread the filling evenly on top and roll again, this time without the parchment paper.
  • Refrigerate for a few hours until set and slice before serving.

Notes

  1. If using fresh spinach you will need about 700 g/ 1 ½ lbs fresh spinach which you will have to clean, remove the stems and let wilt in a pot. Chop it finely before adding it to the batter.
  2. I used Turkish fresh cheese, which is drier than regular cottage cheese. If using regular cottage cheese, let it drain well and pat a bit dry with kitchen paper before using it.

Nutrition

Serving: 1slice | Calories: 171kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 73mg | Sodium: 382mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g