Spanakopitas

As long as I was opening a package of phyllo, I decided to make some spanakopitas. I used to make these so often that I had the recipe memorized, but it's easier to buy frozen ones nowadays. The phyllo package has a picture of them on it, which is probably where I got the idea.

Since I actually had to open the cookbook this time, I found that the Bible's recipe uses parmesan cheese. I'm fairly certain I used to sub in feta, which is much more authentic. Remember, this cookbook is from the early 1980's, when feta was not readily available. I was buying parmesan for something else, so I went ahead and used it this time. It tastes good, but not as cheesy as a 4 oz block of feta. Let's call them interchangeable.

2 Tb olive oil

1 small onion, diced

1 10 oz package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry

1 egg

1/3 C grated parmesan cheese

1/8 tsp pepper

about 1/3 lb phyllo

1/2 C butter or margarine, melted

1. In saucepan, cook onion in oil over medium heat until tender. Remove from heat and stir in spinach, egg, cheese, and pepper.

2. With a sharp knife, cut phyllo lengthwise into 2"-wide strips. Place strips on waxed paper and cover with a slightly damp towel until needed.

3. Brush top of one strip of phyllo with melted butter. Place 1 tsp of filling at short end of strip. Fold one corner over filling to make a right triangle. Continue folding at right angles until you reach the other end of the strip to make a triangular package. Repeat with remaining strips and filling.

4. Preheat oven to 425º. Place packages, seam side down, on cookie sheets. Brush tops with melted butter. Bake triangles 15 minutes, until golden brown. Serve hot.

Makes about 40

Note: You can make them bigger to serve as side dishes. To make a pie, spread 4 sheets of phyllo in an oven-proof skillet with rounded sides, brushing each layer with butter. Fill with all of the spinach, then fold overhanging phyllo to seal top. If the ends don't meet, use another sheet of phyllo to cover it. Brush with butter and bake 25 minutes. Invert onto serving platter.

Difficulty rating :-0