With the low carb and gluten free movement in full swing, baking in Australia might seem to be taking a back seat. But, I don't believe that being healthy and eating well means that we can never enjoy a good slice of bread or a yummy golden pastry ever again. It's all about balance. Sure we might not need to eat them every day or even every week but there should still be times when it's ok to indulge and to just enjoy something without any guilt or remorse.

These spinach and ricotta triangles are really yummy and they do contain a big pile of spinach which can only be a good thing. And of course, if you are completely allergic to gluten you could make them with a good quality GF pastry - there are many options around these days.

I think they're perfect just on their own, maybe with a dollop of tomato chutney but you could also serve them with some veggies and make a meal out of it. Great for vegetarians too or as part of a finger food or party menu. Feel free to make them in advance and reheat using RegenerateOMatic Crispy (if you have it) or just with the Hot Air+Steaming/Combination Steam function at around 180°C. If you are going to reheat using Hot Air+Steaming I would slightly "undercook" them the first time around to allow for the extra browning time later.

These are baked using the Professional Baking function. This function is specifically designed for breads and puff pastries. The brilliance of this function is that it gives you a perfectly controlled and measured amount of Steam (thanks to the climate control system) at the beginning of the cooking process (called the Steam Phase), then automatically heats up and kicks into the Hot Air phase, using the temperature that you have set, to bake, brown and crisp. The result is the crustiest (is that a word?) of breads and the most golden, puffy, shiny and crunchy pastries ever. And, there's no need to brush with egg or milk to help make this happen.

You can use this function to cook ANY bread based or puff pastry recipes you have or find in magazines, cookbooks or online. You just swap the normal oven function or setting recommended in the recipe for Professional Baking. Set the same cooking temp as the recipe states and add a little extra cooking time (5-10 mins) to account for the period of steaming (Steam Phase) that the VZUG or Wolf Combi Steam will give you automatically. Easy!

If you are using another brand of Combi-Steam without Professional Baking, please see the notes below the recipe for an alternative cooking method.

Ok so let's keep it simple and get on with it.

(makes 18 mini triangles)

Ingredients:
2 sheets puff pastry (just thawed)
300g fresh ricotta*
1/2 cup grated parmesan
50g feta cheese
1 box frozen spinach (thawed and squeezed over a sieve to remove as much liquid as possible)
1 tsp ground nutmeg
3 tbs chopped fresh basil, dill, mint or chives (or a combination)
1 spring onion (finely chopped)
1 clove garlic (crushed)
2 tbs sesame or poppy seeds
olive oil
s&p

Method:

1. Line two baking trays with baking paper and set aside.

2. Combine the cheeses, spinach, nutmeg, herbs, spring onions and garlic in a large mixing bowl. Season VERY well with S&P. (don't be shy!) The mixture should be very well combined. Use the back of a wooden spoon to squish out any lumps.

3. Cut the each pastry sheet pieces into 9 squares. (3x3)

4. Place around 1 tbs (or enough so that they can close completely without squeezing the filling out) of the mixture into the middle of each pastry square keeping slightly to one side. Pick up one “point” of the pastry gently and fold over. Use a fork to press along the edges to seal to make a triangle. Continue with all the pastry squares.

5. Lay the triangles onto the trays leaving space in between each one.

6. Brush a little water on top of each roll then sprinkle over some of the seeds.

7. Place the trays into the Combi Steam. Select Professional Baking. Set the temperature to 220°C. (don’t pre-heat the oven)

8. Cook for 25 minutes or until you achieve your desired level of browning. Remove the trays and place on racks to cool for 10 minutes.

9. Take the pastries from the trays and serve or allow to cool completely before refrigerating in an airtight container or freezing wrapped in cling film.

Note: if you don’t have a V-ZUG or Wolf Combi Steam you can cook these using Hot Air+Steaming/Combination Steam at 220°C (don’t preheat your oven) for around 25 minutes or until puffed and golden. For variable Steam select 25%. You may like to glaze with egg wash (a lightly beaten egg) instead of water when you add the seeds if cooking this way to increase the shine on the finished product.

In a V-ZUG or Wolf CombiSteam you could also use BakeOMatic - Fresh Aperitif Nibbles - Medium Browned and let the oven set the temp, cooking time and moisture levels automatically for you. Just wait for the beep and remove.

Hope you love these. I sure do! Would be great to hear from you on the Facebook page or via the Ask page of this blog, with any feedback.

In the meantime,

Happy Combi Steaming!

Yours in the kitchen,

The CSQ. x