SPANAKOPITA OR SPINACH PIE

This popular greek dish is a delicious combination of creamy spinach and feta filling and a flaky phyllo curst.

Spanakopita or spinach pie is lovely hot or cold. It can be served as a meal with a side salad or simply eaten as a cold as a snack. The availability of frozen phyllo sheets has turned this Greek delicasy into an easy to make dish that can be served up with minimal effort.

You will need:

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 pound spinach, rinsed and chopped

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1/2 cup ricotta cheese

1 cup crumbled feta cheese

juice of 1/2 a lemon

1/2 a box of phyllo dough

1/2 cup olive oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly oil a 9x9 inch square baking pan. Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Saute onion, green onions and garlic, until soft and lightly browned. Stir in spinach and parsley, and continue to saute until spinach is limp. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.

In a medium bowl, mix together eggs, ricotta, feta, and lemon juice. Stir in spinach mixture. Lay 1 sheet of phyllo dough in prepared baking pan, and brush lightly with olive oil. Do not skip this step. The dish will turn out flavorless if the dough is not applied with oil. Lay another sheet of phyllo dough on top, brush with olive oil, and repeat process until there is a nice layer of phyllo for a bottom crust. Spread the spinach and cheese mixture over the phyllo and layer the remaining sheets of phyllo dough, brushing each with oil. Crumple the top sheets and tuck into the top with the overhanging dough into pan to seal in the filling.

Bake 30 to 40 minutes, until golden brown. Cut into squares and serve while hot.