Greek Spanakopita

 

Spanakopita

Golden, wafer-thin sheets of phyllo, a creamy spinach filling that's packed with tangy feta and fresh herbs… this classic Spanakopita (spinach pie) would make any Greek grandmother proud. Phyllo can be finicky, but this recipe makes it foolproof. Whole sheets are stacked in the baking dish and brushed with butter—no slicing or folding, and if a sheet tears, no one will know! Here's a genius trick for even squares that won't shatter when sliced: score the phyllo first, before baking, so the knife cuts cleanly through before serving. Serve as an appetizer at any dinner party, or cut into bigger squares for a truly satisfying dinner idea.
Ingredients:
2 10-oz. packages frozen chopped spinach, thawed
10 Tbsp. unsalted butter

1 yellow onion, chopped
4 scallions, chopped
4 garlic cloves, chopped
2 large eggs, beaten
6 oz. container crumbled feta
1 cup cottage cheese
1/4 cup chopped parsley
2 Tbsp. chopped dill
1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
16 9 X 13-inch sheets frozen phyllo dough, thawed                                                     Directions:                                                                                                                               Place the spinach in a large dish towel or double layer of paper towels and squeeze to remove as much excess moisture as possible. Set aside.

Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, scallions, and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are softened, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and let cool for 10 minutes.

Add the eggs, feta, cottage cheese, parsley, dill, salt, pepper and drained spinach to the onion mixture. Stir until well combined.

Preheat the oven to 375°. Melt the remaining 9 tablespoons butter in a small microwavable bowl in 15 second intervals in the microwave. Brush a 9-by-13-inch baking dish generously with butter. Place two sheets of phyllo dough in the bottom of the dish, layered on top of each other. Brush the top with butter. Repeat the process 3 more times, for a total of 8 phyllo sheets, brushing with butter every other layer. Spread the spinach mixture evenly over the crust. Top with 2 phyllo sheets and brush the top with butter. Repeat with the remaining 6 phyllo sheets, brushing with butter every other layer. Drizzle any remaining butter evenly over top of the spanakopita.

5Score the top crust of phyllo sheets into 15 pieces using a paring knife. (This will make cutting after baking easier.) Bake the spanakopita until golden brown and flaky, 45 to 55 minutes. Serve hot.

Amazing Spanikopita

Amazing Spanakopita

Experience the richness of Greek cuisine with this ultimate Spanakopita recipe. A perfect blend of crispy phyllo dough, earthy spinach, and tangy feta cheese, this dish promises a burst of flavor in every bite.
Prep Time: 45 mins. Total time 1 hr. 30 mins.

Utensils required:
Large sauté pan, Mixing bowls, Pastry brush, 9x13-inch baking dish
Sharp knife,  Measuring cups and spoons

Ingredients
1 lb fresh spinach leaves
1 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup chopped fresh dill
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
Salt and pepper to taste
16 sheets phyllo dough thawed
Additional olive oil for brushing

Directions:
Prepare the Spinach:
Preheat a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add spinach and cook until wilted. Drain excess water and set aside.

Make the Filling:
In a mixing bowl, combine wilted spinach, feta cheese, dill, nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Mix well.

Preheat the Oven:
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).

Assemble:
Brush a 9x13-inch baking dish with olive oil.
Place a sheet of phyllo at the bottom of the dish, brush with olive oil. Repeat this step, layering and brushing each sheet, until you have 8 sheets layered.  Spread the spinach-feta mixture evenly over the phyllo.

Continue the layering process with the remaining 8 sheets of phyllo, brushing each with olive oil.

Bake:Place the baking dish in the preheated oven and bake for 40-45 minutes, or until the phyllo is golden brown and crispy.

Notes
Serving Suggestions:Cut into squares and serve hot.A side of Greek salad or tzatziki sauce complements the dish wonderfully.

Apple Almond Tart

Apple Almond Tart

Pastries with flaky crusts, such as pies and tarts, tend to be laden with fat and calories. While phyllo can also supply a wallop of fat (due to each sheet being well-buttered) using egg whites instead can trim hundreds of calories from the dessert. Use the same technique with phyllo for savoury pastries as well.

Ingredients
½ cup (125 mL) natural almonds
1/3 cup (80 mL) granulated sugar
3 tbsp (45 mL) butter
Pinch salt
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1 tbsp (15 mL) amaretto or almond liqueur
½ tsp (2 mL) pure almond extract
Vegetable oil cooking spray
4 phyllo pastry sheets, thawed overnight in refrigerator
1 egg white
2 Golden Delicious apples, peeled, cored and cut into ¼ inch (5 mm) slices tossed with 1 tbsp (15 mL) fresh lemon juice
2 tbsp (30 mL) apricot jam

Directions
Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). 

Pulse almonds with 2 tbsp (30 mL) sugar in a food processor until finely ground. Add butter, remaining sugar and salt to almond mixture and process until well mixed. Whisk together egg, egg yolk, liqueur and extract in a small bowl and add to almond mixture, processing until combined well. 

Prepare a 10- or 11-inch (25- or 28-cm) tart pan with removable bottom by spraying with nonstick vegetable oil spray. Place 1 sheet of phyllo dough in the tart pan and press into sides of the pan. Tuck edges down towards bottom so that they will not burn during baking. Keep remainder covered with a damp towel to prevent drying. Brush sheet with egg white. Repeat with each sheet of phyllo, crisscrossing to give length to all sides and covering any holes in phyllo. Brush each layer with egg white. 

Spread almond mixture over prepared phyllo, making sure that filling is evenly spread. Place apple slices in concentric circles (may be slightly overlapping). Using scissors, trim excess phyllo so that the phyllo is even with the top of the tart pan. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes or until apples are tender and crust is golden. Just before removing tart from the oven, melt jam in small saucepan over medium-low heat, about 5 minutes; strain. Brush tart, both top and crust, with apricot jam.

Serves 8

TARTLET VARIATION 

Prepare eight 3-inch (8-cm) tartlet pans by spraying with nonstick vegetable oil spray. Cut 1 sheet phyllo into 4 squares. Keep remainder covered with a damp towel to prevent drying. Place 1 square over a tartlet pan, with half of the phyllo over the edge. Brush phyllo in tartlet pan with egg white. Fold remaining side over and brush with egg white. Repeat with another square of phyllo in the same pan. Repeat with remaining tartlet pans. 

Spoon almond mixture over prepared phyllo (using approximately 2 tbsp/30 mL mixture in each tartlet) making sure that filling is evenly spread. Place apple slices over filling. Proceed as with tart.

Chocolate Coffee Pecan Pie

Chocolate Coffee Pecan Pie

For some people (not me) pecan pie is just too sweet. If that’s you, the addition of coffee and bittersweet chocolate in this recipe offsets the sweetness. Phyllo is super easy to work with and very forgiving. Some of the sheets will probably be torn. It doesn’t matter: just piece them back together again. The results will still look great.

Ingredients:
Filling
1 cup (250 mL) golden corn syrup
½ cup (125 mL) brown sugar
1 tbsp (15 mL) espresso or coffee or 1 tbsp (15 mL) hot water mixed with
1 tsp (5 mL) instant coffee or espresso powder
3 eggs, lightly beaten
¼ cup (60 mL) butter, melted and cooled slightly
2 tsp (10 mL) vanilla
Shell
8 sheets thawed frozen phyllo from a 454-g box
3 tbsp (45 mL) melted butter
2 cups (500 mL) chopped pecans, coarsely chopped
2 oz (55 g) 70 or 75% bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C).

In a medium bowl, whisk corn syrup with brown sugar, espresso, eggs, ¼ cup (60 mL) butter and vanilla.

Leaving phyllo stacked, remove 8 sheets from package. Cut and discard a 3-inch (8- cm) strip from long end of stack. Remove 1 sheet of phyllo and place on counter. Cover stack with tea towel. Working quickly and using butter like a glue, lightly brush outside edges with melted butter. Then brush inside part of phyllo (it does not need to be perfect or to cover it all; it is simply to help second sheet stick). Remove second sheet of phyllo (covering stack), and place directly on first, matching edges as best you can. If it is ripped, just piece it together. Continue buttering and stacking phyllo. Lift stack of phyllo into a 10-inch (25‑cm) deep pie plate, easing into plate. Using scissors, cut phyllo so that about 1 inch (2.5 cm) overhangs edges (discard extra). Roll and squeeze edges to form a rim just inside of pie plate. Brush remaining butter over rim edges.

Sprinkle pecans and chocolate over base of phyllo. Stir filling, then pour into crust. Bake in preheated oven 40 to 45 minutes or until edges are brown and filling is set. Cool completely.  Serves 8

Alsatian Bacon Tart

Alsatian Bacon Tart

This is fantastic either hot or cold and it reheats in a 350°F (180°C) oven for 5 to 10 minutes.Cut in slices and serve as a first course with a small salad or cut in smaller slices as an hors d’oeuvre. Buy frozen puff pastry that comes in one block rather than the already rolled-out type, as it is not big enough for this tart. Use a pizza pan to give a crisp pastry base.

Ingredients:

1 lb (500 g) puff pastry
2 tbsp (25 mL) olive oil
8 oz (250 g) double smoked bacon, thickly sliced,
diced
8 cups sliced Spanish onions (cut onions in half
before slicing)
2 bay leaves
1 tsp (5 mL) dried thyme, or
1 tbsp (15 mL) fresh thyme leaves
Salt
2 large eggs
½ cup (125 mL) ricotta cheese
½ cup (125 mL) whipping cream
Freshly ground pepper

Directions:

Roll out puff pastry on a lightly floured surface into a 16-inch (40-cm) free-form circle.Transfer pastry to a round metal pizza pan or large baking sheet. Using your fingers and a little water to moisten dough, make pleats in the edge of the pastry to make a ¾-inch (2-cm) edge that stands up like a tart shell. Chill pastry while you prepare filling.

Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).

Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.Add bacon and sauté for 1 minute or until fat is beginning to melt. Add onions, bay leaves and thyme, season with salt and sauté for 10 to 20 minutes or until onions are a slightly golden tangled mass.

Combine eggs, ricotta and whipping cream and season well with salt and pepper.

Remove pastry from refrigerator and pour in egg mixture to make a thin layer. Spread bacon and onions in an even layer over top. Bake in the lower third of the oven for 25 to 35 minutes or until pastry is browned and filling is set.   Serves 6 to 8

Spanakopita

                                                        Sitto's Spanakopita
Your brunch dish for a big gathering of family is here. Sitto’s recipe is ginormous, so I’ve cut it down a good bit and changed up her ratios some (a little more cheese plus cream cheese, a less spinach). You can double this recipe and use a sheet pan with the large-size phyllo dough (about 14”x18”) if you like. Make the spanakopita ahead and fully bake it, or leave it unbaked in the refrigerator for a day, and bake it when you’re ready. If you do bake it ahead, reheat it in the oven at 350°F. Sitto makes it clear with red ink: bake the pie before cutting it into squares! Makes 12 servings.

Ingredients
1 8 oz. box frozen chopped spinach, thawed
1/3 pound feta cheese, crumbled (buy a block and crumble it yourself)
1/2 pound small-curd cottage cheese
3 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
2 eggs, lightly whisked
4 scallions, finely chopped
1 teaspoons kosher salt
few grinds black pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
1 cup clarified butter, melted
1 pound package frozen phyllo dough, 9”x14”, thawed to room temperature, unopened until just before using

Directions:
Heat the oven to 350°F.

Squeeze the spinach in the sink to remove as much liquid as possible.

In a large bowl, stir the feta cheese, cottage cheese, and cream cheese until well incorporated (it helps to stir the room-temp cream cheese in a small bowl first to loosen it and smooth it out).

Add the eggs and stir to combine. Stir in the scallions, spinach, salt, pepper, and dill.

Remove the phyllo from its wrapping and gently unfold it. Trim the long side by an inch so it will fit into a 13” x 9” x 2”-inch glass or metal (not dark) pan. Cover the phyllo stack with a damp kitchen towel to keep it from drying out.

Brush the bottom of the pan with a bit of the clarified butter. Lay one sheet of phyllo in the bottom of the pan and dab it with the butter. Lay another sheet over this one and butter it, repeating this with 8 more sheets (or half of the phyllo stack).

Spread the filling over the phyllo, and layer the remaining phyllo sheets on top, brushing butter over each layer, including the top layer.

Bake the pie for 30 to 40 minutes, or until golden. Cool for about 10 minutes.Use a sharp knife to cut the pie into squares, and serve warm.