These spinach feta triangles are made with a low carb pastry and filled with a delicious mixture of spinach, feta and seasoned with lemon and sumac. Psyllium husk powder gives this pastry an elasticity and flexibility that is needed in a low carb and gluten free pastry.
One of my favourite snacks when I lived in Dubai was spinach fatayer. These were delicious pastries formed into a triangle shape and filled with a lemon spiced spinach mixture. The pastry on these was certainly not low carb nor gluten free but it was light and soft with a golden hue.
Spinach Feta Pie
The best thing about these delicious spinach fatayer Middle Eastern snacks was that their shapes to me indicated that they were vegetarian and I could reach for one happily without having to ask someone to break it in half and check for meat for me. When I worked in Dubai our office was almost next to a fabulous Lebanese restaurant which we used to go to a lot and especially when we had visitors. The best thing about working for a global brand is that you would get a lot of visitors. So, there were a LOT of lunches at this restaurant. How I managed to get any spreadsheets done in the afternoon afterwards is still a mystery to me as the food was so good, I needed a “power nap” by 3pm.
I created this healthy low carb and gluten free version of a spinach fatayer in homage to my time spent in the Middle East. Feta cheese was added purely because I love the flavour combination of spinach and feta with lemon.
The real star in this recipe, however, is sumac. Sumac must be one of my favourite spices and is so hard to get hold of in the Caribbean, where I currently live. When I do come across it, I growl like a junk yard guard dog to anyone perusing the aisle and stock up with a few bottles. Sumac has a delicate lemon flavour. We love it on our morning eggs, fried or scrambled to lift the flavours up. If you don’t have sumac to hand, add more lemon rind to this recipe and a splash more lemon juice.
When I used to cook with “normal” pastry many years ago, I used to use a few egg yolks and lots of butter into the mixture. The result was a rich, melt in your mouth pastry that the Chief Taster has yet to come to terms with now that it is a memory and never to be baked again. So, the pressure is on for me to recreate this as best I come with a healthier low carb and gluten free version.
The shape of these spinach feta triangles is made by pinching the top of the ends of the pastry together and then pushing the bottom third together. Once you get one right, the rest are easy to make.
Spinach Feta Triangles
The Chief Taster happily munched into these and declared that the pastry for the spinach triangle was lovely and soft. I was happy as that is just what a spinach fatayer is. Soft and golden. Let’s face it, a low carb or gluten free pastry substitute is not going to be exactly the same, so you have to aim for something edible! The spinach feta triangles were finished under the grill to give them a more golden colour. This is like many spinach fatayer recipes as baking them does not give them the colour without it.
These delicious spinach feta triangles were so addictive that only a few of the 20 made it to the next morning. The flavour combination of spinach, feta, lemon and sumac is just delicious and addictive. Since the pastry is made with coconut flour and psyllium husk powder they are high in fibre and very filling. You can be full with just a couple of these spinach feta triangles! Although I will confess that did not happen with us and we munched a plate between us, growling over the last few like a pack of ravenous dogs.
Spinach Feta Triangles
Ingredients
Dough
- ½ cup coconut flour
- ¼ cup butter, softened unsalted
- 2 eggs beaten
- 2 tablespoons psyllium husk powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup boiling water
Filling
- 1 cup cooked spinach
- 1 small onion peeled & chopped
- 1 teaspoon lemon rind
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon sumac
- ¼ cup Feta cheese crumbled
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Instructions
Dough
- In a bowl, mix the coconut flour, salt and psyllium husk powder together.
- Add the softened butter and blend together.
- Add the beaten eggs and stir the mixture thoroughly until combined.
- Pour in the boiling water and stir until a dough consistency is formed.
- Set aside to cool until the dough can be handled.
Filling
- Heat the oil in a frying pan on a medium heat and add the onion. Cook for 5-7 minutes until the onion is soft and golden.
- Add the spinach, lemon juice, rind, sumac, Feta cheese and black pepper and stir until thoroughly combined.
- Set aside to slightly cool.
Assembly
- Preheat the oven to 180C/350F degrees.
- Take a large ball of the dough and place it between two sheets of parchment paper, slightly flattening it with your hand before rolling it.
- Cut a circle out with either a large cookie cutter or a glass (as I did).
- Remove the pastry circle and spoon about 1 tablespoon of the spinach Feta mixture onto the circle, slightly over of the middle.
- Pinch 2 ends first and then the third to form a pyramid.
- Place the spinach feta triangles on a parchment paper lined baking tray and bake for 25 minutes until firm and slightly golden.
- Put the spinach feta triangles under a hot grill for 3 to 5 minutes to give them a golden brown finish.
- Eat and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
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Frankie
Hi Angela,
I am wondering if this recipe freezes well or if this is something that should be cooked and served within two days? Looking forward to trying these out!
Thanks!
Angela Coleby
They should freeze okay.
Lisa
Ok, what am I doing wrong?!?!
All your recipes look amazing and as a lifelong vegetarian just starting in low carb I was so excited coming across your site. But no matter what I do- and I promise I’m following to the letter- all I get is paste not dough! I added more flour, more husk, another egg, either dry and brittle or soft and sticky! I tried the chia crackers too, same crumbly dry result, no crunch! Is it my ingredients? The psyllium husk seems really dark- I end up with a purple brown result. I ended up turning the above recipe into a quiche.
Please sort me out!!
Angela Coleby
Hi, I suspect that it may be the psyllium husk powder and perhaps the brand of coconut flour. There can be variations between brands and some psyllium husk powder gives a purple colour.
Suzanne Bayntun
These were delicious! Nice, soft pastry and very tasty filling. I am looking forward to trying more of your recipes. We enjoyed these with your stuffed jalapenos and chocolate orange cupcakes for dessert and it was all delectable! Thanks!!
Angela Coleby
That sounds like a delicious meal! Glad you are enjoying the recipes.