Ingredients

The following ingredients have 9 Servings
  • 6 sheets matzo (more or less)
  • 2 cups frozen or canned artichoke hearts (plain, unmarinated)
  • 2 cups lowfat cottage cheese
  • 8 ounces crumbled feta cheese ((goat or sheep milk feta is best) - more or less, see note below)
  • 5 ounces fresh spinach (roughly chopped)
  • 3 large eggs (divded)
  • 2 scallions (chopped)
  • 1/4 cup fresh dill (chopped)
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon lemon zest
  • 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • Salt to taste (as needed)

Instruction

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and grease a 9x9 square baking dish. If the artichoke hearts are whole, halve them. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium/high heat. Sauté the artichokes hearts until browned, then remove from heat and set aside.
  • In a large mixing bowl, combine cottage cheese, spinach, scallions, dill, lemon zest, and crushed red pepper. Crumble feta cheese in slowly, a handful at a time, tasting as you go-- the filling should be creamy and tasty with a hint of salt and tang. Fetas vary in saltiness level, I sometimes use the whole amount listed in the ingredients-- other times, I only add half. You don't want to add too much and risk an over-salty dish. If you add all the feta and it's not salty enough, add more salt to taste. Once filling has a good flavor balance, beat two of the eggs and stir those in as well. Mix until well combined.
  • Soften your matzo by placing each sheet in a dish of water until it just begins to soften, but does not become mushy.
  • Place the softened matzo on a dish towel for 5 minutes, then check to make sure that it is slightly bendable. If not, you may need to soak it a little longer.
  • Place a sheet of matzo into the bottom of your prepared baking dish. Fill in any gaps around the edges with smaller pieces of matzo. You can break the smaller pieces of matzo, or use a knife to slice them more evenly.
  • Top the matzo with half of the cheese filling and half of the sautéed artichoke hearts.
  • Repeat with another layer of matzo, the remaining cheese filling and the remaining artichoke hearts. For the top layer, to make a prettier presentation I cut the matzo into smaller squares and overlap them slightly in a shingle pattern. You can always go the simpler route by using a single sheet of matzo and filling in the gaps with smaller pieces, but keep in mind that it does shrink up a bit while baking and you may be left with a few small gaps that aren't covered by matzo after baking.
  • Brush the top of the matzo with remaining beaten egg. Be sure that it doesn't pool heavily in any areas.
  • Bake for 45 minutes or until the top layer is golden brown. Serve warm.