loup garou
Lifer
Just finished up the last of the spanakopita I made Saturday. For those of you who don't know what it is, it's a Greek spinach pie. They're really easy to make and delicious, so I thought I'd share my recipe:
Ingredients:
1 pkg frozen chopped spinach
1/4 large yellow onion, diced
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
juice of 1/4 large lemon
1 egg
1/2 lb fresh greek feta cheese
~15 sheets phyllo dough
olive oil
1/2 stick butter, melted
dried oregano
ground nutmeg
salt
Materials:
1 frying pan
1 strainer
1 large cutting board (wooden preferred)
1 large cookie sheet
1 large mixing bowl
1 pastry brush
1 oven, preheated to 375F
Sautee onion and garlic in olive oil until they begin to turn translucent. Add spinach. Season with 2 pinches of salt and pinch of oregano. Cook for ~5 minutes, until spinach is soft and less green. Drain as much liquid from spinach as you can using strainer. Remove spinach/onion/etc to mixing bowl, place in fridge to cool.
Moisted cutting board until slightly damp. If you don't have a wooden one, moisten a paper towel and place over your cutting board--this will keep phyllo from drying and cracking.
Place 1 sheet of phyllo on cutting board (careful not to rip!). Spread a little melted butter over phyllo with brush, add second sheet of phyllo. Repeat until you have 5 layers of phyllo, don't butter last sheet.
Cut phyllo into 4 strips of 2.5-3" wide (cut along short side). DON'T move the strips.
By now your spinach should be cool, if not wait until it is room temperature. Add egg, crumbled feta and lemon juice. Mix with hands.
Place a large spoonful of spinach mixture at top of phyllo strip. Fold top left corner over mixture on 45 degree angle, squishing mixture gently. Fold resultant triangle straight down, then to the left (easier done than said). Continue folding down strip, fasten last fold of phyllo with a little melted butter. You should have a nice right triangle-shaped pie. Spread melted butter on cookie sheet and move completed spanakopita to it.
Continue with rest of phyllo strips, once done with 4 strips, make another 5 layer sheet and repeat. You should have enough mixture for about 3 sheets (12 strips/spanakopita). Sprinkle all spanakopita very lightly with nutmeg and bake at 375F for about 30 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool for 5 minutes and enjoy!
Ingredients:
1 pkg frozen chopped spinach
1/4 large yellow onion, diced
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
juice of 1/4 large lemon
1 egg
1/2 lb fresh greek feta cheese
~15 sheets phyllo dough
olive oil
1/2 stick butter, melted
dried oregano
ground nutmeg
salt
Materials:
1 frying pan
1 strainer
1 large cutting board (wooden preferred)
1 large cookie sheet
1 large mixing bowl
1 pastry brush
1 oven, preheated to 375F
Sautee onion and garlic in olive oil until they begin to turn translucent. Add spinach. Season with 2 pinches of salt and pinch of oregano. Cook for ~5 minutes, until spinach is soft and less green. Drain as much liquid from spinach as you can using strainer. Remove spinach/onion/etc to mixing bowl, place in fridge to cool.
Moisted cutting board until slightly damp. If you don't have a wooden one, moisten a paper towel and place over your cutting board--this will keep phyllo from drying and cracking.
Place 1 sheet of phyllo on cutting board (careful not to rip!). Spread a little melted butter over phyllo with brush, add second sheet of phyllo. Repeat until you have 5 layers of phyllo, don't butter last sheet.
Cut phyllo into 4 strips of 2.5-3" wide (cut along short side). DON'T move the strips.
By now your spinach should be cool, if not wait until it is room temperature. Add egg, crumbled feta and lemon juice. Mix with hands.
Place a large spoonful of spinach mixture at top of phyllo strip. Fold top left corner over mixture on 45 degree angle, squishing mixture gently. Fold resultant triangle straight down, then to the left (easier done than said). Continue folding down strip, fasten last fold of phyllo with a little melted butter. You should have a nice right triangle-shaped pie. Spread melted butter on cookie sheet and move completed spanakopita to it.
Continue with rest of phyllo strips, once done with 4 strips, make another 5 layer sheet and repeat. You should have enough mixture for about 3 sheets (12 strips/spanakopita). Sprinkle all spanakopita very lightly with nutmeg and bake at 375F for about 30 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool for 5 minutes and enjoy!
