Spanakopita

Travis and I had the best Spanakopita at a Greek restaurant in Cincinnati and have been craving it ever since. This recipe took a lot longer to make than I thought it would but it was worth it! The method of cooking they used, to grill it on a flat top grill instead of baking it, was something I have never seen before. And the creaminess of the Spanakopita was so good. I adapted the recipe I found below so that we could make it more like theirs. My only substitution to this recipe was that I made it with goat cheese instead of feta. I also changed the cooking method which can be found at the end of this recipe.

I served this Spanakopita with Falafel Sandwiches and a Cucumber and Tomato Salad.

Ingredients

Makes about 30 Spanakopita

1/3 cup olive oil

2 pounds spinach, washed and drained

1 bunch scallions, white and green parts, chopped

1/4 cup finely chopped parsley

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/2 pound feta cheese, crumbled (I used goat cheese)

1 to 2 eggs, lightly beaten

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted

1 pound filo pastry sheets

Directions

Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large saute pan, add half of the spinach and saute until spinach wilts, tossing with tongs, about 2 minutes. Remove spinach and squeeze out excess liquid, then chop roughly. Repeat with remaining spinach, using 1 more tablespoon of olive oil. Pour off any liquid from the pan, and add remaining olive oil. Add scallions and saute until soft, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the spinach to the scallions, along with the parsley, salt and pepper. Cook over low heat for 1 to 2 minutes, then remove from heat to cool. (This part can be done ahead and kept refrigerated).

Stir the feta and as much beaten egg to moisten the cooled spinach mixture.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Brush a baking sheet with some of the melted butter.

Unroll the filo dough on a flat surface and keep it covered with waxed paper and a damp towel so it doesn't dry out and become brittle. Using a sharp knife, cut the filo in half lengthwise, and recover with the towel. Use a pastry brush to brush a strip of filo with melted butter. Place a small spoonful of spinach filling 1 inch from the end of the pastry. Fold the end over the filling to form a triangle, then continue to fold up the strip in triangles, like folding up a flag. Continue with remaining strips of dough, placing filled triangles on the baking sheet and keeping them covered with a towel until all are ready to bake.

Brush the triangles lightly with butter, then bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden and crisp. Serve hot. (These may be frozen before baking, layering waxed paper between layers of triangles to keep them from sticking. Bake frozen triangles an extra 10 minutes.)

My Cooking Variation: Heat a large skillet over medium heat and melt a Tbs of butter. Place Spanakopita triangles in the skillet until brown on both sides.