food

Spanakopita 

• 1 1/2-2 Sticks unsalted butter, clarified and cooled
• 1 lb fresh baby spinach
• 1/2 lb feta cheese, crumbled
• 1 egg, beaten
• 4 Tbs fresh parsley, chopped
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 1 Tbs fresh lemon juice
• 1 Pkg Phyllo dough, thawed (1 8oz pk)
• 1 tsp ground nutmeg
• olive oil

1. Wilt your spinach with a tablespoon or two of olive oil, you'll most likely need to work in batches.  Allow the spinach to cool, squeeze out as much liquid as possible, rough chop and put into a medium sized bowl.
2. Sauté chopped onion and parsley in olive oil until onions are translucent, about 3 minutes.  Add to spinach, along with egg, lemon juice, feta and nutmeg, combine until all ingredients are well mixed.
3.  Lay out 1 piece of Phyllo dough, brush with  butter, overlap with one more piece of Phyllo, brush again with butter.  Using a sharp knife (or a pizza cutter), cut your Phyllo into 3 strips, (picture below to help give you a visual).
4. Place about 1 1/2 Tbs of spinach mixture at the end of each strip of Phyllo.  Roll into triangles, like you would the American Flag :)
5.  Continue until you've used all of your spinach mixture.  Bake at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes, or until they're nice and golden.  Sprinkle with a little salt while they're still hot. 


Tips:
1. Keep your Phyllo under plastic wrap and a damp towel while you're working with it.
2. You can make these ahead (about 3-4 days), freeze before cooking, then when you need them, just pop them in the oven frozen!
3. If you aren't interested in all this work, make a pie in a baking dish instead.  Bake for about 40 minutes, cutting into slices about half way through.