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Spanakopita Spinach Pie Recipe

Spanakopita Spinach Pie Recipe

Spanakopita Spinach Pie Recipe

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  • Makes: 1 1/2 dozen pitas (8-10 Servings)
  • Ready In: 50 mins
  • Prep Time: 15-20 mins
  • Cook Time: 35-40 mins

This is a great family bonding recipe that works well with an assembly line type crew. It is a good way to get the kids involved with the meal making process and can be lots of fun for everyone.

This is a fairly labor-intensive project, so when the mood strikes go for it. This makes about a dozen and a half, so freeze what you don’t immediately eat for a later time. If you have never worked with phyllo dough before, it’s a fantastic vessel for both savory and sweet recipes. It is, however, a pain to work with, so be prepared to loose a few sheets from either drying out, or tearing. The best way to keep phyllo as your friend, is to roll it out and keep it covered with a barely damp tea towel. (If your towel is too wet, it will ruin the very thin sheets of dough and make them gooey and un-usable). Phyllo dough must be layered sheet upon sheet, (about 5 sheets), in order to be strong enough to hold up to whatever you might be filling inside. Between each layer, paint with a pastry brush, either melted butter or olive oil. You don’t have to saturate each layer, but do get all the sides and a majority of each sheet should be moist.

    Nutritional Information (per serving)

  • Calories: 140
  • Fat: 11g
  • Protein: 5g
  • Sodium: 261mg
  • Carbohydrates: 5g
  • Fiber: 2g
  • Sugar: 1g

Ingredients:

  1. 2 lbs spinach, washed
    1 yellow onion, diced
    drizzle of olive oil
    about 3/4 lbs feta cheese
    1 cup chopped fresh parsley
    1/2 cup toasted pine nuts
    pinch or two of freshly grated nutmeg
    salt and pepper
    juice from 1 lemon
    1 package of PHYLLO DOUGH, thawed. (usually in frozen dessert section)
    1 stick of unsalted butter, melted. (or about 1/2 cup of olive oil)

Directions:

    1. Preheat oven to 375
    2. In a large pot, saute spinach and the drain very well, pressing out any extra liquid.
    3. In a medium saute pan, heat oil and saute diced onion until transparent.
    4. Once spinach and onions are cool, combine in a large bowl, along with parsley, feta, pine nuts, nutmeg, salt and pepper and lemon juice. Taste this and alter any seasonings.
    To Assemble:
    1. Make sure phyllo has completely thawed out if frozen.
    2. Unwrap phyllo and lay out flat. Cover with a barely damp tea towel, keep covered through out this process.
    3. Find a clean working space (I use a large cutting board). Start with one layer at a time. Lay first layer down and working with a pastry brush, paint butter over sheet, not soaking, but relatively coated.
    4. Place second sheet on top of buttered sheet and repeat 5 times, keeping the last layer dry -NO BUTTER.
    5. If you find that your phyllo is tearing, you can patch it by over-lapping each little torn piece and using the melted butter or oil to seal the places where you have improvised.
    6. Cut 3 even strips down the sheets, about 2.5 inches apart. You will have 4 columns.
    7. At the top of each column, drop about 2 tbls spinach mixture and begin to roll each column into a triangle (see below). Paint a little extra butter over the triangle and seal up any unsealed edges.
    8. Place on a baking sheet with parchment paper. Bake until golden brown and crispy, about 25 minutes. Serve hot.

    Note: These can be made vegan by replacing butter with olive oil and firm tofu replaces feta.
Celeste Kellerhouse

Article written by

Celeste is a hunter of bargains -- but doesn't cut corners when it comes to food. Creating her own fresh dishes she shares on her own blog Meals at Home.

 

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