Spanakopita Spinach Cheese Phyllo Food

SPANAKOPITA (GREEK SPINACH PIE)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly oil a 9x9 inch square baking pan.
• Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Saute onion, green onions and garlic, until soft and lightly browned. Stir in spinach and parsley, and continue to saute until spinach is limp, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
• In a medium bowl, mix together eggs, ricotta, and feta. Stir in spinach mixture. Lay 1 sheet of phyllo dough in prepared baking pan, and brush lightly with olive oil. Lay another sheet of phyllo dough on top, brush with olive oil, and repeat process with two more sheets of phyllo. The sheets will overlap the pan. Spread spinach and cheese mixture into pan and fold overhanging dough over filling. Brush with oil, then layer remaining 4 sheets of phyllo dough, brushing each with oil. Tuck overhanging dough into pan to seal filling.
• Bake in preheated oven for 30 to 40 minutes, until golden brown. Cut into squares and serve while hot.

SPANAKOPITA: GREEK SPINACH PIE WITH FETA CHEESE

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• Wash and drain the chopped spinach very well. If using frozen spinach, thaw completely and squeeze out excess water. The spinach should be dry before you begin cooking.
• Heat 1/2 cup of the olive oil in a deep sauté pan or large Dutch oven. Sauté the onions and green onions until tender.
• Add the spinach, parsley, and dill , and cook for 5 to 10 minutes until the spinach is wilted and heated through.
• Add the nutmeg and season with salt and pepper. The spinach mixture should be on the dry side; if using frozen spinach, you will want to cook it until any excess moisture evaporates. Remove from the heat and set the spinach mixture aside to cool.
• In a large mixing bowl, combine the feta, eggs, and ricotta cheese.
• Add the cooled spinach mixture and mix until combined.
• Gather the ingredients.
• Combine the melted butter with the olive oil in a bowl. Using a pastry brush, lightly grease 2 (9 x 12-inch) rectangular pans.
• Carefully remove the phyllo roll from the plastic sleeve. Most packages come in 12 x 18-inch sheets when opened fully.
• Using kitchen scissors or a sharp knife, cut the sheets in half to make 2 stacks of 9 x 12-inch sheets. To prevent drying, cover 1 stack with wax paper and a damp paper towel while working with the other.
• Preheat the oven to 350 F. Layer about 10 sheets of phyllo on the bottom of each pan, making sure to brush each sheet with the butter-olive oil mixture before layering the next.
• Add half of the spinach mixture to each pan in an even layer and press with a spatula to flatten.
• Layer another 10 phyllo sheets on top of the spinach mixture in each pan, making sure to brush each sheet well with the butter-olive oil mixture.
• Before baking, score the top layer of the phyllo (making sure not to puncture the filling) to enable easier cutting of pieces later. (You can place the pan in the freezer to harden the top layers and then use a serrated knife to make the cutting easier.)
• Bake until the pie turns a deep golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes.
• Let cool for a few minutes and then slice, serve, and enjoy.

SPANAKOPITA (SPINACH AND CHEESE PIE)

Steps:

• Set oven to 350 degrees.
• Lightly butter the inside of the pie plate.
• heat 3 tablespoons of butter or olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat; add in the onion, green onion and garlic and saute for about 3-4 minutes or until softened.
• Add/stir in the chopped spinach and parsley; continue to cook for 3-5 minutes or until the spinach is limp; remove from heat and cool.
• In a large bowl, whisk the eggs until well blended.
• Add in ricotta cheese and feta, then add to the spinach mixture; mix to combine with a wooden spoon.
• Season the mixture with salt and black pepper (at this point I add in about 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese, but that is optional).
• Layer 4 sheets of thawed phyllo dough into prepared pie plate, brushing each layer with melted butter or oil (to prevent drying out, follow the instructions on the phyllo dough package).
• Pour the spinach mixture on top of the dough.
• Repeat the layers of phyllo dough.
• Tuck the overhanging dough into the pie plate and crimp edges.
• Brush with melted butter.
• Bake uncovered for 40-45 minutes.

GREEK SPINACH & HERB PIE (WITHOUT CHEESE) A.K.A. SPANAKOPITA

Steps:

• Coarsely chop spinach and place in a colander. Salt lightly and let drain for 10 minutes. Press or squeeze to remove all excess liquid.
• In a large mixing bowl, combine spinach, dill, parsley, garlic, onions, leek, pepper, and mix well until ingredients are well blended.
• Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
• Spray 9" round or square pyrex plate with cooking spray. When laying the sheets in the pan, leave an overlap of phyllo outside the pan rim all the way around. Lay half the phyllo sheets on the bottom, spraying each one lightly with Pam cooking spray.
• Spoon in the spinach mixture and spread evenly. Fold the extending phyllo in over the mixture. Lay the remaining phyllo sheets on top, spraying each with cooking oil except the top sheet. Tuck or tim eadges. I like to kind of ruffle mine.
• Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 45-50 minutes in the middle of the oven. When done, remove from the oven and allow to cool 1/2 hour before serving.

SPANOKOPITA (GREEK SPINACH PIE)

Steps:

• 1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly oil a 9x9 inch square baking pan.
• Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Saute onion, green onions and garlic, until soft and lightly browned. Stir in spinach and parsley, and continue to saute until spinach is limp, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
• In a medium bowl, mix together eggs, ricotta, and feta. Stir in spinach mixture. Lay 1 sheet of phyllo dough in prepared baking pan, and brush lightly with olive oil. Lay another sheet of phyllo dough on top, brush with olive oil, and repeat process with two more sheets of phyllo. The sheets will overlap the pan. Spread spinach and cheese mixture into pan and fold overhanging dough over filling. Brush with oil, then layer remaining 4 sheets of phyllo dough, brushing each with oil. Tuck overhanging dough into pan to seal filling.
• Bake in preheated oven for 30 to 40 minutes, until golden brown. Cut into squares and serve while hot.

SPANAKOPITA (SPINACH AND CHEESE PIE)

Steps:

• Mix spinach, feta, cottage cheese, onion, parsley, dill and salt.
• Add beaten agges and combine well.
• Brush bottom and sides of a 9x13 baking dish with the softened butter.
• Unfold the filo leaves and cut in half, crosswise.
• Wrap and refreeze one half of the filo.
• Cover the other half of the filo with a damp towel.
• Gently separate one filo leaf from the stack.
• Place it in the baking dish and fold over the edges to fit the bottom of the dish.
• Brush the entire surface of the filo lightly with melted butter.
• Repeat steps 7-9 until you have used half of the filo leaves.
• Preheat the oven to 350.
• Spread the spinach mixture evenly over the filo in the dish.
• Layer the remaining filo over the spinach mixture in the same manner as the first half of the filo.
• Cut through the top layers of the filo leaves with a sharp knife, making a diamond pattern (this will make it easier to cut the spanakopita later).
• Cook uncovered until golden, about 35 minutes.
• Let stand 10 minutes before cutting.

SPANAKOPITA ( SPINACH CHEESE PHYLLO)

Steps:

• In a medium skillet over medium heat, melt 1 tablespoon of butter; add onion and cook 5 minutes.
• Add spinach and cook, stirring constantly, for 2 to 3 minutes or until moisture has evaporated.
• Remove from heat; stir in cheeses, egg, and seasonings; set aside.
• Preheat oven to 375°F.
• Melt remaining butter.
• Place one phyllo sheet lengthwise on waxed paper.
• Brush phyllo lightly with butter and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of bread crumbs.
• Place another phyllo sheet on top, brush with butter and sprinkle again with crumbs.
• Spread half the filling ( about 3/4 cup)along lengthwise edge of phyllo.
• With both hands lift waxed paper and roll from lengthwise edge, jelly-roll fashion.
• Place seam-side down onto a cookie sheet;press each end to seal.
• Brush top with butter and cut gashes in top of roll at 1 inch intervals.
• Make second roll with remaining ingredients.
• Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown.
• * Can be made ahead up to this point. Cool, wrap in plastic wrap, then in foil and freeze for up to 1 month. To serve, unwrap and heat in 400°F oven for 12 to 15 minutes).
• While warm cut into 1 inch slices, using gashes as a guide.