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spanakopita -- easy & lower fat than others

(5 ratings)
heidicookssupper avatar
Recipe by
Heidi Hoerman
@heidicookssupper
Hingham, MA

Spanakopita is a Greek spinach pie. Its main ingredients are spinach, feta cheese, eggs, butter or oil, and phyllo dough, which is found in the freezer case of many supermarkets. Phyllo is only hard to work with if you are a perfectionist. It will rip and some sheets will stick together but this won't effect the flavor at all! This version uses very little oil, only about 1/4 cup, and is very easy to assemble. It also suggests variations. This is a very forgiving recipe. Videos that helped me: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SQITqEJ-TvQ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JJKvAIgPAtk

(5 ratings)
yield 4 as a main dish, 4 to 6 as a side dish
prep time 30 Min
cook time 30 Min
method Bake

Ingredients For spanakopita -- easy & lower fat than others

  • 1/2 lb
    frozen phyllo dough, usually one sleeve in a package of two, thawed according to package directions.
  • 1 or 2 bag
    fresh spinach, well washed, or 1 to 2 package(s) frozen spinach, thawed.
  • 8 oz
    feta cheese, crumbled
  • 2 lg
    eggs
  • 1/2 tsp
    lemon pepper or black pepper.
  • 1/2 tsp
    salt
  • 1/3 c
    olive oil
  • OPTIONAL ADDITIONS (CHOOSE AT LEAST ONE)
  • 2 tsp
    dried dill or several sprigs fresh dill, fronds only, minced
  • 1 bunch
    italian (flat-leafed) parsley, leaves only, coarsely chopped
  • 1/2 bunch
    curly parsley, leaves only, coarsely chopped
  • 1/2 c
    fresh basil leaves, gently chopped
  • 1 md
    sweet white or yellow onion
  • 2 or 3 stick
    celery, finely chopped, optional
  • 1 to 3 clove
    garlic, minced, optional
  • 4 to 8 oz
    mushrooms, thinly sliced or chopped, optional.
  • 1 to 2 oz
    parmesan or other hard cheese, grated
  • 1/2 tsp
    mediterranean-style dry seasoning mix

How To Make spanakopita -- easy & lower fat than others

  • 1
    Follow package directions to thaw the phyllo. Often this means moving the package to the refrigerator four hours before you plan to assemble the spanakopita. Keep the phyllo package sealed until you are ready to use it.
  • 2
    If you are using fresh spinach, steam it until it wilts. Drain it in a screen sieve, pressing with the back of a spoon to get out most of the moisture. Allow to cool. Chop coarsely. If you are using frozen spinach, thaw, chop coarsely if not already chopped, and drain it in a screen sieve, pressing with the back of a spoon to get out most of the moisture.
  • 3
    Put eggs in a large bowl and lightly beat to combine whites and yolks. Add chopped spinach and crumbled feta. Add any optional ingredients and toss to mix thoroughly.
  • 4
    Choose at least one optional ingredient to add flavor and variety to the spanakopita, more than three may result in muddying the flavors. Optionally, saute or pre-cook to soften onions, celery, mushrooms, etc., or to make garlic milder. Sample combinations: --dried dill, dried mixed spices, and grated parmesan --sauteed mushrooms, garlic and onions --fresh basil, onions and garlic --sauteed celery, mushrooms and italian parsley.
  • 5
    Preheat the oven to 400F.
  • 6
    Measure the oil into a small dish. Dip two or three fingers into the oil and grease the bottom and sides of a rectangular baking dish. An 11" x 7" glass pan is best but a variety of shallow baking pans work well.
  • 7
    Unroll the phyllo. Cover the bottom of the pan with the first sheet of phyllo. (Don't worry if the phyllo rips or occasional sheets stick together.) Visualize the four sides of the pan as north, south, east and west.
  • 8
    Drape the next piece of phyllo so that it mostly covers the bottom of the pan but totally covers the north wall with about 1 inch extending over the edge of the pan. Repeat on the south side. Dip two or three fingers in the oil and dab your oiled fingers all over the phyllo but don't worry about some un-oiled spots.
  • 9
    Drape the east and west sides of the pan and dab with oil. You will now have a pan that is lined with phyllo with a bit of overhang on each side.
  • 10
    Repeat the north-south-dab-east-west-dab two more times. By this point you will have used approximately 13 sheets of phyllo.
  • 11
    Spoon in the spinach mixture and spread evenly to cover the bottom of the phyllo lining. Fold the four sides over to cover most of the top. Don't worry about the bare center. Liberally dab the folded over phyllo with the oil.
  • 12
    Repeat the north-south-dab-east-west-dab until about four sheets of phyllo remain. Don't worry if some sides are a layer short.
  • 13
    Center a sheet of phyllo on top and tuck in the edges as you would sheets on a bed. Don't worry about getting the edges underneath. Dab oil down into the edges and dab all over the top. Repeat with the remaining sheets of phyllo. Make sure the final sheet and all the edges are well covered with oil. Discard any leftover oil.
  • 14
    Bake in the middle of the oven for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool at least 10 minutes before cutting and serving.
  • Last Step: Don't forget to share! Make all your friends drool by posting a picture of your finished recipe on your favorite social network. And don't forget to tag Just A Pinch and include #justapinchrecipes so we can see it too!
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