The thing about having a food blog is that you have to have a story to tell about the food you’re posting. Or explain why it’s appropriate to make that time of year. Or how the ingredients are really fresh and seasonal. And that’s just fine. Because I am usually okay with all of these requirements!
But sometimes…sometimes you just want a cheesy, spinachy, flaky, savory pastry and want other people to have it too. Sometimes, you just want to make something just because it tastes real good.
This is one of those times. This does taste real good! And you’ll be so pleased if you make it yourself. Yum!
Spanikopita (recipe from David Lebovitz)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, diced finely
12 ounces fresh spinach
salt and freshly-ground pepper
8-10 ounces fresh feta cheese
2 tablespoons finely-chopped flat leaf parsley
pinch of freshly-grated nutmeg
1 large egg, at room temperature
freshly squeezed lemon juice
16 sheets thawed filo dough
Melted butter, about 1/2 stick
1. Heat oil over medium heat in a pan. Add onion and sauté until translucent, about 5-7 minutes.
2. Add the spinach, and season with salt and pepper. Cover the pan and cook until the spinach is completely wilted, stirring once or twice to make sure that the spinach doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan.
3. Turn off the heat and let the spinach mixture cool completely. Transfer the spinach mixture into a colander and squeeze out all of the excess liquid. Chop the spinach until it is in bite sized pieces.
4. Mix the spinach in a small bowl with the feta and parsley. Taste, and add nutmeg and a dash of lemon juice, plus more salt and pepper if needed. Stir in the egg.
5. Unwrap and unroll the filo and keep it covered with a damp tea towel.
6. Lay one sheet of filo on the counter and brush it lightly with butter. Lay another sheet on top of it and brush it with butter as well.
7. Place about 1/4 cup of the filling in the center, about 1-inch (3cm) from the edge of the sheets of filo, then roll the two edges of the dough over, lengthwise, to encase the filling. You should have a long rectangle with filling underneath the top far end.
8. Brush the exposed surface of the filo with butter and fold one corner diagonally over the filling, then continue folding keeping the triangle shape (as you’d fold a flag) and brushing the exposed surfaces of the filo with butter, until you have a neat triangle. Brush the top with butter and set on a baking sheet.
9. Continue making more spanakopitas with the remaining filling.
10. Preheat the oven to 350F. Bake for 25 minutes, or until deeply-golden brown.
Social Kitchen 
August 16, 2012 at 9:49 am
[…] You know how some people cannot stand sweet and savory foods together? Like salt on their chocolate, or dates in their salads. You know what I’m talking about, right? Yep, I’m not one of them. What does bother me, though, is when sweet names are given to savory foods. A mushroom rice pudding. Or a spinach baklava. I just don’t understand it. There are separate and distinct names given to these foods that should be used! Risotto! Spanikopita! […]