Kale-a-kopita

Kale-a-kopita is spanikopita's calcified cousin from Asia Minor. Kale grows like weeds here in Durham, NC, and when we had it in our garden I'd make this all of the time. Traditionally, spanikopita contains spinach and feta and is made with phyllo dough by my aunt Katie.

This version uses spring roll wrappers instead of phyllo dough, and an almond olive blend for the feta. Originally I used kalamata olives and crumbled tofu for the feta. Here I retained the olive/tofu mixture but also included inspiration from my friend's almond feta post.

Yield: Makes about 16 kale-a-kopitas.
Estimated Cost: $6 - $8 (about .38 - .50 cents per roll)

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.

BLEND

First make your new and improved 'feta.' In your blender or food processor, deposit the following ingredients, then blend until smooth (there will still be tiny almond granules, that's OK).

• ½ cup almonds
• ½ cup water
• 1 T lemon juice
• 1 T tahini
• ¼ cup firm tofu (not silken)
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 2 t salt
• ¼ cup kalamata (preferred) or green olives
• 2 cloves garlic (or as you prefer)

Transfer the blend to a large mixing bowl, big enough to fit your chopped kale.

CHOP & ADD

To the above mix, add:

• 1 t oregano from the village mountains of your Greek father's home town (or store bought)
• ½ cup chopped leek (preferred) or onion
• 1 bunch kale, washed, drained, and chopped*
• Optional: add 1 t dill weed
  

MIX & COAT

Now that your 'feta' is all cozy in the big bowl with the other ingredients, mix them all in using tongs. You will need to remix as you make the wraps to keep the liquid from remaining at the bottom of the bowl.

To coat your wraps, get a plate (a big serving plate works well) and place about ¼ cup of olive or canola oil on the plate, then:

• Place one wrap on the oil, moosh it around, then flip it.
• Take another wrap, and place it on top of this one to coat one side.
  
• To coat the other side, flip this new wrap.
  
• Then, take both wraps and flip them together upside down.
  
• Repeat with about 5 wraps until the oil runs out. Now you are ready to stuff the first 5.

STUFF

• Place about ½ cup of the mix onto the mid-corner of the wrap.

• Flip the bottom corner over the wrap, then flip the left and right sides over the stuffing.

• Roll it up, tucking the wrap as you go along under the rolled stuffing.

• Place each roll on an ungreased non-stick sheet (you can grease if you'd like).
  

Keep going until the filling runs out. You will need to add more oil to the plate and repeat the coating step above once or twice.

BAKE

I like to sprinkle the finished wraps with garlic powder. You might not like that.

Place the finished sheet of wraps into your preheated oven and bake about 15 minutes until lightly brown and crispy at the top.

Remove and let cool for about 5 minutes.

* You can use spinach if you want. Also, I chop up the stems and add these to the mix. If you're serving more 'sensitive' (picky) guests, you might not want to use the base stems and retain those for other uses (such as throwing them at picky guests).

EAT

So good the bowl can fly.

Healthy or just hortamatastic?

Both. With both almonds and kale as a main ingredient, then adding tofu and tahini, you're getting a good dose of calcium. Tasty, too. By the end of this post, Rob and I had eaten them all.