I may not be Greek, but I can sure make a good spanakopita! I always see filo dough in the freezer aisle while food shopping and I just had to buy it. It’s just so flaky and fun to eat! The first thing that came to mind was to make spanakopita, or a Greek spinach-type pie. Why not? I searched for some recipe ideas online, then headed into the kitchen.
This is what I used:
1 package of filo dough
Olive oil
1 ½ pounds of frozen spinach, thawed
1 medium onion, chopped fine
1 Tbsp dried dill
Pinch of nutmeg
¾ to 1 cup of crumbled feta cheese
1 whole egg (not the shell, silly) plus 1 egg white
I set my oven to 350ºF
I sautéed the onions in 1 Tbsp of olive oil or so for about 10 minutes on medium heat. Then I squeezed every drop possible of water from the thawed spinach (you don’t want soggy spinach pie!) I added the spinach to the onions and warmed it through. In a large bowl I combined the eggs, spinach and onions, dill and nutmeg. Then I folded in the cheese. I used my “lasagna” pan for this, and I laid out the filo dough so it covered the bottom of the pan, and the other half of the dough was hanging off of the side of the pan. I put the mixture into the pan then covered it with the remaining filo (you may need to cut it down to size). I brushed the top two layers of filo with a thin layer of olive oil, then baked the whole thing for about 30-40 minutes—until nice and crispy!
I realize that filo is best when each layer is brushed with a layer or butter or oil, and I’ve done this once but it takes a lot of time, and it is a lot of added fat. The way I made it above was great (in my opinion..the gods may frown upon me) because it was fast, easy, and still tasty and crunchy! You can also make little spanakopita triangles which are amazing, yet very time-consuming.
The best part about this dish: Get a picky eater to have a load of spinach in one sitting! And enjoy it too
Marina Bedrossian is a Northport, NY dietitian nutritionist who helps people with holistic nutrition solutions and food sensitivities. Visit this page to schedule an appointment and don’t forget to join the private Facebook group “Ingredients For Healthy Families” more information here.