Spanakopita time!

Today, I wanted to explore spanakopita (spinach pie), a favourite Greek vegetarian food, and share a recipe I used to make it from scratch!  It's a little tricky and takes some practice, but I think that you will find it rewarding to make.

(The interior of my spanakopita)

(Me, holding my finished product.)

Spanakopita (spinach pie) is a very interesting food. It is a mix of spinach, feta cheese, and other tasty things mixed in together in a crispy phyllo pastry. The dish's origin is disputed, but most believe that it comes from Greece. It could have been first produced during the Turkish occupation of Greece, as it is similar to ispanakli, a traditionally Turkish dish. Either way, it is a very popular food, catering dish, and an even more popular appetizer! I have been living in the Greektown area for years, and have tried plenty of spinach pie. My preferred spinach pie can be found at Athens Bakery, and I strongly suggest you check it out.

Ingredients for recipe

2 packages of frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained

½ large onion, finely diced and lightly sauteed

2 tbsp chopped garlic

400g feta, crumbled

2 eggs, beaten slightly

Zest of two lemons

Salt and pepper

1 package frozen phyllo pastry, thawed overnight in the refrigerator

½ lb of butter, melted

Step one

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Mix together the spinach, onion, garlic, feta, eggs and lemon zest in a large bowl.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

(The mixing of the filling has begun...)

 Step two

Phyllo pastry is delicate and dries out very quickly, so you will need to keep it slightly moist as you work.  Trickle a small amount of warm water onto two clean tea towels to moisten.  Lay one towel on the counter.  Open up the phyllo pastry stack and lay it on top of the towel.  Place the second towel on top of the phyllo stack.

(Me, lifting some phyllo.)

Step Three

Take one sheet of phyllo, lay it on the counter and brush it with butter.  Take a second sheet of phyllo and repeat.  We are making triangle shapes, so two sheets work well because the triangle is folded many times and creates layers.    Once the second sheet is buttered, cut the phyllo lengthwise into six even strips.  Place one heaping tablespoon of filling at the base of the strip.  Take the bottom right corner of the phyllo pastry – lift it and fold it diagonally toward the top left hand corner to create a triangle.  Continue this pattern by taking the bottom left corner and folding it toward the top right hand corner.  Alternate from side to side until you’ve reached the end of the strip.  Seal the edge with butter and lightly brush the top with butter.  Voila!  You have made a spanakopita triangle! 

I have a fun time lapse for this step! 

(Buttering the phyllo pastry)

(Adding a spoonful of filling,)

(The folded triangles of filling, ready to cook.)

Step four

When you’re finished making your triangles, place onto baking sheet and cook in 350 degree oven for approximately 10 minutes. Afterwards, you are finished! You can do whatever you want to serve them with, and you can even have them as a snack! 

(The pastries, buttery and finished cooking.)

(Me, holding my finished product.)

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(The inside of a delicious spanakopita. Mmmmm!)

Thoughts on this recipe

I found that this recipe was fun to make. The phyllo pastry might seem tricky at first, but once you get some practice, it's pretty easy to use.  The spanakopita  was yummy, fresh, and very unique. Now, the recipe for the filling was one that my Mom and I came up with.  If I could go back and do this again, however, I would love to have added a little bit more flavour, as they could be more present.  I would add more lemon zest and garlic.

One last piece of advice - these are hot coming out of the oven!!!  Be patient and you will enjoy the spanakopita much more!

My rating:

Three and a half chillies! Pretty good, especially for a homemade recipe. I feel good about making this dish, and am proud of my accomplishment.  However, it wasn't as good as Athens pie, which I would rate a solid 4.5 chillies. Either way, still a good recipe and a tasty treat.

Thanks for reading, 

Sam

Sources:

Admin. (2016, July 8). Everything You Need To Know About Spanakopita. Retrieved from https://greekonwheels.ca/everything-you-need-to-know-about-spanakopita/. 

Spanakopita: History , recipe and ingredients. (2016, November 29). Retrieved from https://spanakopitablog.wordpress.com/2016/04/04/spanakopita-history-recipe-and-ingredients/.