Spanakopita

In sticking with the Mediterranean Diet, here is another great find.  Spanakopita is a savory Greek pie made with golden, crispy layers of phyllo dough, with a delicious filling of spinach, onion, a dash of Tabasco and feta cheese.  It's only David and me so I made a smaller version, using a pyrex pie pan.  I simply cut the phyllo to size and that worked beautifully.  I'm usually all about using fresh ingredients, but for this recipe it's best to use frozen spinach as it takes quite a bit.  If you do use frozen, make sure it's defrosted all the way through and that you get all the moisture out by squeezing it between paper towels really well.  If you prefer, you can substitute melted butter for the olive oil.  But, in sticking with the MD I used olive oil and it turned out crispy and wonderful.  The spinach filling reminded me of one of my Mom's classic dishes, "Spinach Rockefeller," with the big difference being is her recipe uses parmesan instead of feta.  In this recipe you add the light, lovely layers of phyllo, brushed with olive oil, which ultimately provides the delightful crunch.  The final presentation turned out to be beautifully golden, crispiness on the outside, and healthy, green goodness on the inside...a nice, warm combination of tastes and textures.  David loved it so much he went back for a third serving.  Serve with your favorite salad for a complete meal or this dish would be an excellent side dish to roasted Cornish hens or grilled fish, or really anything.  David and I were commenting that you could fill the phyllo with any combination of ingredients, sweet or savory.  You could even do a dessert very similar to Baklava with a crushed pistachio filling soaked in and served with a warm, lemon and honey syrup...Delish!!  Although the sweeter recipes might not be MD approved, you have to indulge every so often too. 

For the Spinach and Feta Filling:

16 oz frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well-drained

2 bunches flat-leaf parsley, stems trimmed, finely chopped

1 large yellow onion, finely chopped

4 garlic cloves, minced

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

4 eggs

10.5 oz feta cheese, crumbled

2 tsp dried dill weed

dash or two of Tabasco or cayenne pepper

Freshly-ground black pepper

For the Crust:

1 16 oz package phyllo dough, properly thawed 

1 cup extra virgin olive oil, more if needed

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

Before you begin mixing the filling, be sure the spinach is very well drained, and squeeze out any excess liquid by hand.

To make the filling: In a mixing bowl, add the spinach and the remaining filling ingredients. Stir until all is well-combined.

Unroll the phyllo sheets and place them between two slightly damp kitchen cloths.

Prepare a 9 ½" X 13" baking dish like this one. Brush the bottom and sides of the dish with olive oil.

To 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.

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 sheets, one or 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, you can crumble them a little. Brush the folded sides generously with olive oil. 

Bake in the 325 degrees F heated-oven for 1 - 1 1/2 hours, or until the phyllo crust is crisp and golden brown. Remove from the oven. Cut into squares or slices and serve hot.  Serve with Tabasco as a condiment for extra spice.

**Recipe adapted from The Mediterranean Dish