SPANAKOPITA
Enjoy a taste of Greece with every mouthful of spanakopita. Although it looks difficult, it’s a quick and easy make-ahead dish that you can bake at short notice to impress unexpected guests. Pair it with a Greek salad juicy with summer fresh tomatoes and fresh, picked oregano.
4 cups fresh spinach or shredded kale
1 med leek
4 oz feta cheese
4 oz grated mozzarella cheese
¼ cup chopped parsley
2 Tbsp raisins
freshly ground black pepper
1 egg
1 tsp cornstarch
8 sheets (phyllo)/filo pastry
olive oil spray
1. Thaw pastry overnight in the fridge.
2. Preheat oven to 450˚F (230˚C).
3. Wash, trim, and thinly slice thick stalks, and shred spinach and kale.
Wash, trim, and thinly slice leek.
4. Mix in a bowl, with crumbled feta, grated mozzarella, parsley, raisins, and pepper.
5. Mix in beaten egg, add cornstarch, mix.
6. Assemble pies: Spread pastry sheet on a dry board, spray lightly with olive oil.
Place a second sheet on top of first and spray lightly.
7. Place a quarter of the filling in the centre of the upper quarter of the sheet, 2 in.
(5 cm) from the top. Fold the top over the filling, fold in both sides, and roll into
a rectangle 4 in. x 2 in. (10 cm x 5 cm).
8. Place pie in pan. Clean surface, repeat to make 3 more pies.
9. Lightly spray tops with oil.
10. Bake 10 minutes until tops are golden.
Allow to cool 5 min. before serving.
Serve with a green or Greek salad, tzatziki sauce and follow with a light dessert.
TIPS:
• Cover pastry with a slightly damp tea towel to prevent drying. It must remain
pliable to roll easily.
• Have the filling ready so you can work quickly.
• Pies can be baked and frozen, or frozen and baked for 15–20 min.
at 350˚F (180˚C).
• Cut pastry sheets into quarters, fill with 1 Tbsp (15 ml) filling, roll into bite-sized
mini-pies to serve as hot appetizers.
• Compared to flour-and-butter-pastry, phyllo is fail-proof, lower in fat, and makes
it a snap to roll pies.
TRY A VARIEY OF FILLINGS:
• Salmon and Leek—1 leek, ½ lb (250 g) salmon fillet, juice of half lemon,
1 Tbsp (15 ml) capers, fresh or dried dill, 1 egg, 1 tsp (5 ml) cornstarch, ground
black pepper. Cube salmon and mix as above.
• Try cod, halibut, scallops and shrimp with a variety of herbs. Serve with a Dill-Yogurt
or Lemon-Mustard Sauce, a steamed vegetable mix, or green salad.
• Herb Chicken—1 Tbsp (15 ml) olive oil, 1 diced onion, 4 sliced garlic cloves,
2 skinless chicken breasts cut in 1 in. (2.5 cm) cubes, 1 cup (250 ml) shredded kale,
sliced green beans or small broccoli florets, fresh rosemary, thyme, and parsley,
pepper, lemon juice, 3 Tbsp (45 ml) apricot, peach or plum chutney, 1 egg, and
cornstarch. Sauté vegetables and chicken 2 min. Heat oil sauté vegetables 2 min. and
chicken for 2 min. Mix all ingredients as above.
Serve with a chutney-yogurt sauce or mango salsa and salad.
• Curried Lentil Vegetable—Combine 1 cup (250 ml) cooked lentils with lightly
sautéed, diced onions, garlic, and 2 cups (500 ml) diced, small, mixed vegetables
(carrots, celery, kale, potato, sweet potato, zucchini). Mix 2 tsp (10 ml) curry powder,
juice of half lemon, 2 Tbsp (30 ml) tomato paste, and 2 Tbsp (30 ml) stock, add
cornstarch.
Combine all ingredients. Serve with chutney, raita, diced tomatoes, and red onions.
Prep time: 20–30 min. Cook: 10 min.
Serves 4 as an appetizer or 2 as a main course
DF, V, VN depending on ingredients
