Sausage and Spinach Pastry Squares with Cherry Tomato Salad

Another Rachael Ray [surprise surprise].  I've never used frozen pastry sheets before and I am now in love.  There are so many things you could do with these [aka fill them buffalo chicken and blue cheese, of course].  Eric absolutely loved this.  He ate a double portion of salad and two pastry squares-he added red sauce to dip with and complained forever about spinach.... but it could not have been that bad since he polished his plate.  I, on the other hand, liked it.  Things I would have done differently: used less spinach, used more cheese [Eric says cheese is going to be the death of me], not added the lemon zest to the meat mixture.  That said, I loved the salad mucho-that was delish :)

4 tbsp EVOO
1 lb Italian sausage (either sweet or hot--you preference--I use hot)
1/4 onion, chopped
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 tsp dried sage
kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
2 sheets frozen puff pastry, defrosted
4 tbsp spicy brown mustard
1 10oz box frozen spinach, defrosted (I would use 1/2 to 3/4 this amount)
zest and juice of 1 lemon (I would not use the lemon zest)
1 1/2 c Italian cheese blend, shredded
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
6 basil leaves, coarsely chopped
2 cups arugula
1 c romaine lettuce
1/4 c parmesan cheese, shredded

Preheat oven to 400 F.  Heat a medium skillet over high heat with 2 tbsp of EVOO.  Add the sausage, breaking it up until it is crumbled.  Add onions, 2 cloves of garlic (minced), sage, salt, and pepper.  Cook until sausage is browned.  Remove from heat and drain excess fat. 

Cut each sheet of puff pastry into 2 equal rectangles.  With pastry brush, paint the sheets on one side with mustard.  Refrigerate until filling is ready.  Arrange defrosted spinach in a kitchen towel or several layers of paper towels.  Wrap towel around spinach and squeeze excess water.  Put spinach in a mixing bowl, add zest, cheeses, and season with salt and pepper.  Add sausage and mix well.

Arrange pastry rectangles on a sprayed cookie sheet.  Place a quarter of the sausage mixture on one half of each puff pastry.  Fold the pastry over the filling, being sure to cover all of the filling, and using a fork, crimp the edges closed.  With a sharp knife, cut two long slits on the top of each pastry.  Brush tops with beaten egg.  Bake 12 to 15 minutes or until pastry is golden brown.

In a salad bowl, combine the cherry tomatoes, salt, pepper, remaining 2 tbsp of EVOO, red wine vinegar, basil leaves, remaining 2 cloves of garlic (minced), and lemon juice.  With a fork, lightly crush about half of the cherry tomatoes.  Once the squares are baked, add the arugula and romaine to the tomato mixture then toss to coat.  Top with shredded parmesan cheese.  Serve the pastry square wth salad.