Spanakopita- Pretty Delicious Recipe!

So I have become a slave to my boyfriend. Not really of course, but because I'm so bored due to no job, I tend to spend my days bored out of my head either exercising or reading, and his offer of something to do is to make him delicious dinners. I will not say that I am a crazy good cook or anything, but I will say that my mom is (and my dad isn't too bad either!) so I come from a family with good secrets of the trade of cooking.

Alex asked me (or rather negotiated with me) to make him Spanakopita (or spinach pie) yesterday, and I obliged being the bored girlfriend that I am. I was reluctant for one reason - Phyllo pastry.

Phyllo pastry is seriously the most difficult food product I have ever had to work with - and I've dealt with some pretty difficult food products like fondant and modeling chocolate. It's paper thin pastry that, when cooked in layers with oil or butter between, lifts up and becomes deliciously flaky and crispy. When I say paper thin, I'm actually being generous. This stuff is SO thin and it breaks and cracks and rips at the slightest touch. Needless to say, it was a big pain in my butt yesterday, but after eating dinner, I ALMOST felt that it was worth my trouble! (haha!)

I'm going to leave you the recipe that I used yesterday for making it. While I would definitely suggest this meal to anyone because it's quite yummy (and vegetarian!) I don't know if I could possibly ask you to use Phyllo pastry unless you have the dedication and time that I had yesterday. Working with the stuff takes time, patience and a little bit of luck... and I think gets easier with practice, but it's not something quick and easy to say the least!

I hate recipes because I think I'm a better cook than I actually am, I am always switch things up and do stuff that other recipes might not call for or do... but that's the fun part of cooking- adding your own twist to things! This is a melding of several recipes I found, plus a little bit of my own skill and desire to make it my own! Enjoy!

Spanakopita - Kyleigh's Recipe!

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 shallots*
• 1 bunch green onions, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 pounds spinach, rinsed and chopped**
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/2 - 3/4 cup ricotta cheese
• 1 1/2 cups crumbled feta cheese
• 12 sheets phyllo dough***
• 1/4 cup olive oil, or as needed for use on the phyllo dough

* Most recipes called for onions, and you can use that too. I opt for shallots because it's what I have at home, and because they're smaller, so you aren't forced to cut up half an onion and put the rest in the fridge. Shallots are great for onion convenience! 

** Two pounds of spinach is impossible to really figure out. Two pounds is what EVERY recipe I found called for, so what I used was one full box of the triple washed spinach you buy at the store. I probably could have easily used more than that, because the spinach cooks down to nothing because of the water content. In fact, if I were to make it again, I probably would use 1.5 to 2 of those boxes, just to have more filling, but one box really isn't too bad.

*** The biggest mistake I think I made with this dough was that I didn't fully let it defrost before I used it. In my haste, I didn't read the directions perfectly and didn't let it thaw for the 5 hours it wants before needing to use it, so to make the dough easier to use, make sure you read the instructions on the box - most say something like "Defrost in refrigerator over night" or "Leave defrosting at room temperature for 5 hours"

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly oil a 9x13 inch square baking pan. 
2. 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 continue to saute until spinach is limp, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
3. In a medium to large bowl, mix together eggs, ricotta, and feta. Stir in spinach mixture. 
4. Lay 1 sheet of phyllo dough in prepared baking pan, and brush lightly with olive oil. Lay another sheet of phyllo dough on top, brush with olive oil, and repeat process with 4 more sheets of phyllo. The sheets will overlap the pan.
5. Spread spinach and cheese mixture into pan and fold overhanging dough over filling. Brush with oil, then layer remaining 6 sheets of phyllo dough, brushing each with oil. Tuck overhanging dough into pan to seal filling.
6. Bake in preheated oven for 30 to 40 minutes, until golden brown. Cut into squares and serve while hot.

 So if you're feeling adventurous, try it out! It was really delicious, and while it was difficult to make, it was definitely rewarding at dinner time! =)

Blog, and be happy!

Kyleigh.