Spinach Ricotta & Cream Cheese Pouch

I do a lot of entertaining in my home because I just love bringing together those that I respect and love being surrounded by. It's always a good time!
Communication is always flowing, as is the wine & refreshing cocktails. But one thing I'm continuously working on every single time is finding and creating new hors d'oeuvres (appetizers) that I can serve. I've come across this delicious appetizer that is always a hit! They are easy to make and very delicious.

Four main ingredients plus pepper and salt are used to create this dish. The filling can be easily substituted with whatever is readily available. The filling can also be changed into a sweet filling to make it a dessert instead of an appetizer. I would say that the possibility is endless. 

I usually use frozen spinach, cream cheese, and ricotta cheese as filling. Make sure that you thaw the frozen spinach well ahead of time to prevent any delay. I thaw mine in the refrigerator overnight and then use a chesse cloth to squeeze it dry. Making sure that all the fluids has been removed is important because you do not want a soggy pouch when fried plus the water will also make frying difficult as it will cause oil to splatter. 

Another important thing to remember when using wonton or spring roll wrappers is that they dry out easily so make sure that you cover them in damp (not soaking wet) cloth to prevent them from drying out and turning brittle. To help the pouch retain its shape, I let it air dry a little bit after I wrapped the filling so that it becomes stiff thus helping it hold the shape better. These pouches can be kept in the freezer and then taken out when needed. I usually don't thaw them out before frying so they just go from the freezer to the hot oil. You need to be careful though as oil may splatter when it comes in contact with the frozen pouches. Also, use splatter guard to prevent oil from splattering all over you and your kitchen.

Ingredients:

• 1 box (10 oz) Frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
• 4 oz cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup ricotta cheese
• Large size wonton wrappers
• oil for frying 
• sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Method:

1. In a bowl, placed squeeze-dried spinach. Fluff them up to loosen.

2. Add cream cheese and ricotta cheese. Mix well.

3. Season with salt and pepper according to your taste.

4. To wrap: Take a teaspoon full of the filling and place it in the middle of the wonton wrappers. Gather the corners to create a pouch. Take small stips of the cut wonton and use it to tie the corners together. Be careful not to break the tie.

5. Do this until all the filling has been used.

6. Heat oil in a pan. When oil is hot, place a few of the pouch and fry until golden in color. NOTE: Fry only a few at a time so as not to lower the oil temperature and not to overcrwod the pan.

7. Transfer to a paper towel lined plate to drain excess oil.

8. Transfer to a serving platter and serve warm.

Credits: jinkzzkitchen.blogspot.com