Here’s a fun recipe, straight out of the Greek Dinner Party chapter from our Cookbook.
Different from the norm, Hipcooks-style Spanikopita are light, airy, and fresh with lemon zest!
Put any extra filling to good use by mixing it into piping hot pasta. Add a little cream to loosen the mixture, stir with the pasta and your dinner is done!
You can make these cuties in advance, and freeze them on a tray once assembled (but not baked.) When frozen, transfer to a zip-lock for longer-term freezer storage. Then, whenever you have a craving for a delicious spanikopita (so often!) , toss one in your pre-heated toaster oven, bake, and enjoy. (No need to defrost)
1 package (12 ounces or so) frozen spinach, defrosted (this makes the prep a snap!) you'll also need a pastry brush Begin the spanikopita filling by squeezing out any excess water from the spinach. Place in a bowl, and add the garlic, lemon zest, nutmeg, cheeses, and pine nuts. Mix everything together, and give it a taste. You might find that no salt is necessary (if your cheeses are salty enough), or you may find that a pinch or two of salt is just perfect. Once the filling is perfect, you're ready for assembly. Lay out a sheet of phyllo on a flat surface, brush with butter and fold into thirds. Brush again with butter and, working from one end of the dough, add a nice plop of filling. Fold the end over the filling so that you have a triangle, and then continue working up along the dough (flag-folding), so that you're left with a triangle. Place this onto a parchment-lined baking sheet, and repeat. Once all the phyllo sheets are used up, brush all the tops of the spanikopita with butter (butter=better!) Then, either freeze (as described above) or pop into a pre-heated oven (400°F) to bake. Bake until a beautiful golden brown, about 15-20 minutes.
Ingredients
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
zest of 1 lemon
a few rasps with the Microplane of fresh nutmeg
½ cup Feta cheese, crumbled
¼ cup parmesan, freshly grated with a Microplane
a small handful of pine nuts, freshly toasted
12 sheets of phyllo dough
about half a sick of butter, meltedInstructions
2 comments
We made these in the Greek Class and they were so, so, so good and so easy!! I’ll be making these for my next party!
Thanks, Jackie! and once you try these, try the B’stilla. Same same, but different. : )