- ½ lb frozen spinach
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 lemon, zested
- ¼ tsp. nutmeg
- ½ cup feta, crumbled and/or
- ¼ cup parmesan, finely grated.
- ¼ cup toasted pine nuts (optional)
- ¼ cup chopped kalamata olives (optional)
- 1 egg
- 2 T sour cream or Greek yogurt
- ½ package phyllo dough
- Butter
For the filling, thaw the spinach and drain of excess liquid. To this, add what you fancy! Some chopped garlic, some lemon zest, salt, pepper, a spoon of two or freshly grated nutmeg. You can add a handful of crumbled feta, or what about an addition or substitution of grated Parmesan? Pine nuts can never be a bad idea. Or olives? This is your party! An egg will be necessary to hold it all together, and perhaps a tablespoon or two of sour cream or Greek yoghurt for tartness.
You'll need phyllo dough, again available in most supermarket's despite the staff not knowing what or where it is. Look for the frozen pie shells, which I hope you never buy. If you want to use lovely organic phyllo with no partially hydrogenated vegetable oil (but there is no need for you to be as big a geek as me), then check at Whole Foods, Surfas, or New Seasons.
When your filling is ready, roll away! You can make tiny little triangles, little parcels, egg-rolls - make whatever shapes you fancy. If these spanikopita are to be appetizers, remember to make them not-too-large, by using only about a tablespoon of filling. Brush your phyllo dough with butter before you roll, and brush the tops when they are complete.
Now, you can bake immediately - or you can pop in the freezer, well-covered, to bake when you are ready. Bake at 400 until golden. Do serve these fresh and hot.
By Hipcooks
Delicious spanikopita recipe! I love the flexibility with add-ins like pine nuts or olives and the tip about brushing phyllo with butter for that golden crisp. The sour cream addition sounds like a game-changer for extra tang. For more tasty recipes and kitchen tips, check out my site. Thanks for sharing this gem!