Spanakopita

Is this becoming a food blog now?  :-P

Mmmmmm...yum!  Just the thought of spanakopita makes me hungry.  They are spinach and cheese stuffed phyllo triangles. 

These were my pregnancy cravings with Marin---definitely don't get any thoughts in your head with that statement.  (With Emory, I craved waffles and McDonald's cheeseburgers which was really strange because I hadn't eaten one in about 12 years.  The craving I had with Evander was cottage cheese all the way baby.) 

Of course, if Aladdin's was open in Oberlin two years ago, I would have frequented there for their Fatayer which basically has the same filling as spanakopita only wrapped in pita bread.  Aladdin's Eatery Menu 

Spanakopita is time consuming to make---you have to plan ahead for thawing the phyllo dough, and then wrapping them all up takes some time.  But it's so worth it!  I freeze most of the batch so that I can just pull them out, pop them in the oven and eat them for the weeks to come.

Here's the recipe for the filling courtesy of Penzey's Spices :

SPANAKOPITA
1 10-oz bag fresh spinach, washed & chopped
1 8-oz package of feta cheese, crumbled
2 tsp dill weed
2 TB chives
1 c chopped fresh parsley
2 eggs
1/2 t black pepper
Phyllo dough

1 stick butter, melted (for preparing the triangles, not for mixing into the filling)
1/2 package of Athens Phyllo Dough

Thaw the phyllo dough according to the package directions, either overnight in the fridge or 2 hours on the kitchen counter. 



I have to start with this picture.  Look what's growing outside already--fresh chives!


Put all your filling ingredients in a large bowl and mix.



This smells so good...dill, chives, feta = mmmmm. 



My helper today.

Marin worked hard to push the chair over to the counter to help.  That's feta cheese in her mouth.  Girl after my own heart.  She was eating the chives, plain, too.  :-)

Working with one sheet of phyllo at a time, cut the sheet into six equal strips.  A pizza cutter works the best for this.  Brush each strip with butter or margarine.



Triangles in different stages of folding.


Place a tablespoon of filling at the bottom of each strip.  Begin to fold one strip into a triangle...fold to the left, then up, then fold to the right, then up...repeat until the strip is completely folded. 

Place on a cookie sheet.  Brush both sides of the triangles with butter or margarine.  Bake for 20-25 minutes in a 375 degree oven. 

Spanakopita ready to freeze.

Freeze whatever amount you desire in a single layer on a cookie sheet.  Don't forget to brush these with butter on both sides, too!  Once frozen, place in a Zip Loc bag.  This way, you will be able to grab three, five, seven, nine, or any amount at any given time and cook them, and enjoy!  :-)

For this batch, I made 42 spanakopita triangles, using seven sheets of phyllo (eight including one sheet I used for repairs).  It took me half an hour to fill and fold the triangles. 

Notes:

• Making one batch, you won't use a whole roll of phyllo dough.  Store the rest in the fridge or make some other fillings!
• You can use fresh or dried herbs.  You generally would use three times the amount of fresh as you would dried.  For example, if a recipe calls for 1 Tablespoon of fresh herbs, you could use 1 teaspoon of dried.   
• Phyllo dough has a reputation for being difficult to work with.  It's really not if it is fresh.  It can dry out fast, which leads to tears.  Follow the package instructions and cover what portion you are not using with a damp towel.
• With that being said, it's also a little forgiving when you're making your triangles.  If you find your end product has a major hole from the spinach being too soggy or too much butter, just wrap it in another phyllo strip to repair. 
• Don't forget to butter both sides of your stuffed triangles!

Another favorite filling, also courtesy of Penzey's:

TRINOPITA
2 8-oz packages feta cheese, crumbled
1 c cottage cheese
2 eggs
1/2 t white pepper
1 T melted butter

Other fillings I want to try:

SWEET POTATO PHYLLOS
3/4 c mashed sweet potatoes
3/4 t vanilla
1/2 t ground cinnamon
4 T chopped pecans

Serve drizzled in pancake syrup.


And THIS ONE!  Oh my, this one!  Chicken-avocado-sundried-tomatoes-feta-stuffed-phyllo-triangles

Oh yeah, this one, too.  Spinach-feta-sun-dried-tomato-phyllo-triangles

MmmMMmmMmmmmm.