Savory Pie, Oh My!

Monsieur Biebers* is spoiling my family with his irresistible mouthwatering traditional Middle Eastern fare with Palestinian flare. Yesterday it was spinach pie. Today it’s Za’atar pie, Oh my! 

Za’atar is a blend of savory dried herbs and sesame seeds, always including sumac with its slightly tangy flavor. Creative cooks can blend their own favorite spices or purchase ready made Za’atar blends. Monsieur Biebers uses a prepared Za’atar blend but makes his own crust according to the recipe below. You can spread the herb blend on anything from toasted pita to your own favorite sliced bread toasted to perfection.

As for spinach pies, Monsieur Biebers creates a luscious mixture of sautéed spinach, onion, garlic, lemon, pomegranate seeds, chopped walnuts, seasoned with cumin, a pinch of nutmeg and salt and pepper to taste. This mixture becomes the filling for each rounded piece of prepared dough folded over and sealed into a half moon or triangular shape and baked for a few minutes on a preheated oven tray until slightly browned. Perfect with a bowl of soup or a hearty salad, these delicious pies make a satisfying, nutritious meal—savory pie, Oh my!

*Monsieur Biebers does not measure ingredients or use recipes. He relies on his memories of favorite Middle Eastern family dishes, his sense of taste and smell and his knowledge of wholesome ingredients. I call this intuitive cooking.