How to Cook the Grecian Delight Spanakopita

Chopped spinach is a key ingredient in spanakopita.

Spanakopita is a Greek dish. Often enjoyed as a snack or an appetizer, spanakopita is a savory pastry that uses spinach and feta cheese as a filling for phyllo pastry. Phyllo pastry is a very thin and flaky pastry that is made with butter and used in a number of Greek dishes. Spanakopita is a perfect appetizer and fairly easy to make. Always use simple seasonings when making spanakopita to allow the flavor of the spinach and cheese to be enjoyed.

Things You'll Need

• ¼ cup vegetable oil
• 1 chopped white onion
• 1 10oz. pkg thawed chopped spinach
• 1 tbsp. fresh dill, chopped
• 1 tbsp. flour
• 4 oz. crumbled feta cheese
• 2 lightly beaten eggs
• Salt and pepper
• 1 package phyllo dough
• 1/3 lb. melted butter.
• Large saucepan
• Baking sheet
• Pastry brush

Instructions

1. Wash the spinach and squeeze it dry. Set aside.

2. Put the vegetable oil in the saucepan and heat on medium.

3. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally until the onions are soft. Add the spinach, flour and dill and cook for 10 minutes. Any remaining moisture from the spinach and oil should be absorbed.

4. Turn off the heat and stir in the feta cheese, eggs and salt and pepper to taste.

5. Lay out one sheet of phyllo pastry and use the pastry brush to add butter to the pastry. Put the second sheet of phyllo on top of the buttered sheet and gently press the two together. Cut the phyllo layers into 3 inch wide strips.

6. Add a heaping tbsp. of the prepared filling to a strip of phyllo about 1 inch away from the end that is closest to you. Fold the right corner of the bottom of the phyllo over the filling so it meets the left edge. The pastry should form a triangle. Fold the triangle up, so that the point at the bottom left corner is also on the left edge. Turn the left corner to touch the right edge and keep turning, alternating sides until the phyllo is completely rolled into a single triangle. Repeat with the other strips.

7. Set the triangles on a baking sheet and brush with the rest of the melted butter. Bake for 50 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

References

• "Greek Cooking: A Mediterranean Feast over 165 Tantalizing Recipes from Spanakopita to Baklava"; Lou Seibert Pappas; 1995
• "Regional Greek Cooking"; Dean Karayanis and Catherine Karayanis; 2008
• "The Greek Vegetarian: More Than 100 Recipes Inspired by the Traditional Dishes and Flavors of Greece"; Diane Kochilas; 1999
• "Greek Cooking for Everyone: Second Edition"; Theoni Pappas and Elvira Monroe; 1993