Spanakopita
Soooo I had a craving for spinach and spanakopita is something I've always wanted to tackle. Mine is a little bit unorthodox because I substituted mint for dill which is normally used to flavor this delicious greek pastry. I loved the result, mint worked really well with the saltiness of the feta cheese.
FILLING
16 oz frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well-drained
1 bunch of flat parsley, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh mint, chopped
1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablesoons extra virgin olive oil
4 eggs
10.5 oz feta cheese, crumbled
Freshly-ground black pepper
CRUST
1 16 oz package of phyllo pastry (I used a package of 470 grams of fresh phyllo pastry)
1 cup extra virgin olive oil, more if needed
Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C.
Before you begin mixing the filling, make sure the spinach is very well drained, and squeeze out any excess liquid by hand.
Make the filling: In a mixing bowl, add the spinach and the remaining filling ingredients. Stir until well combined.
Unroll the phyllo sheets. Prepare a 9 1/2″ x 13″ metal baking dish. Brush the bottom and sides of the dish with olive oil.
Assemble the spanakopita: Line the baking dish with two sheets of phyllo letting them cover the sides of the dish. Brush with olive oil. Add two more sheets in the same manner, and brush them with olive oil. Repeat until two-thirds of the phyllo is used up.
Now, evenly spread the spinach and feta filling over the phyllo crust. Top with two more sheets, and brush with olive oil.
Continue to layer the phyllo (fillo) sheets, two-at-a-time, brushing with olive oil, until you have used up all the sheets. Brush the very top layer with olive oil, and sprinkle with just a few drops of water.
Fold the flaps or excess from the sides over the top. Brush the folded sides well with olive oil. You may cut the spanakopita into squares now (not all the way through though) or leave the cutting for later (it's what I did).
Bake at 350°F/180°C for 1 hour, or until the phyllo crust is crisp and golden brown. Remove from the oven. Finish cutting into squares and serve.
FILLING
16 oz frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well-drained
1 bunch of flat parsley, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh mint, chopped
1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablesoons extra virgin olive oil
4 eggs
10.5 oz feta cheese, crumbled
Freshly-ground black pepper
CRUST
1 16 oz package of phyllo pastry (I used a package of 470 grams of fresh phyllo pastry)
1 cup extra virgin olive oil, more if needed
Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C.
Before you begin mixing the filling, make sure the spinach is very well drained, and squeeze out any excess liquid by hand.
Make the filling: In a mixing bowl, add the spinach and the remaining filling ingredients. Stir until well combined.
Unroll the phyllo sheets. Prepare a 9 1/2″ x 13″ metal baking dish. Brush the bottom and sides of the dish with olive oil.
Assemble the spanakopita: Line the baking dish with two sheets of phyllo letting them cover the sides of the dish. Brush with olive oil. Add two more sheets in the same manner, and brush them with olive oil. Repeat until two-thirds of the phyllo is used up.
Now, evenly spread the spinach and feta filling over the phyllo crust. Top with two more sheets, and brush with olive oil.
Continue to layer the phyllo (fillo) sheets, two-at-a-time, brushing with olive oil, until you have used up all the sheets. Brush the very top layer with olive oil, and sprinkle with just a few drops of water.
Fold the flaps or excess from the sides over the top. Brush the folded sides well with olive oil. You may cut the spanakopita into squares now (not all the way through though) or leave the cutting for later (it's what I did).
Bake at 350°F/180°C for 1 hour, or until the phyllo crust is crisp and golden brown. Remove from the oven. Finish cutting into squares and serve.
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