**Siphnopita: A Culinary Journey to the Heart of Greece**
Embark on a tantalizing voyage to the picturesque island of Sifnos, where culinary heritage and breathtaking landscapes intertwine. Discover the secrets of siphnopita, a traditional Greek pie that captures the essence of this enchanting island's culture and cuisine. Our comprehensive guide presents a diverse collection of siphnopita recipes, each offering a unique twist on this beloved dish. From the classic tomato and cheese filling to innovative variations featuring local ingredients, these recipes cater to every palate. Whether you're an experienced chef or a home cooking enthusiast, our step-by-step instructions and detailed ingredient lists ensure a gratifying culinary experience. Prepare to indulge in the rich flavors and textures of siphnopita, a dish that epitomizes the warmth and hospitality of the Greek people.
SPANAKOPITA
Spanakopita, the classic Greek savory pie, is elegant and impressive, yet easy to make. The star ingredient is spinach, and lots of it (two pounds to be exact). This pie tastes best when made with fresh spinach, though you could also use the same amount of frozen spinach - just be sure to thaw completely and squeeze out all the excess water before using. This recipe can be baked a day ahead and stored in the refrigerator overnight, then rewarmed at 400 degrees until heated through, about 15 minutes. Cut into small squares or triangles to serve as an appetizer, or for a more complete meal, serve larger squares of the pie alongside soup or salad.
Provided by Kay Chun
Categories casseroles, vegetables, main course
Time 2h
Yield One 9-by-13-inch pie
Number Of Ingredients 12
Steps:
- In a large pot, heat oil over medium. Add onion, scallions and garlic, season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 5 minutes.
- In batches, stir in spinach until wilted, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Strain spinach mixture through a sieve, pressing out excess liquid to prevent a soggy crust. Transfer to a large bowl and cool for 5 minutes. Add eggs, feta, Parmesan and parsley and stir until combined.
- Heat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease a 9-by-13-inch pan (2 inches deep) with butter. Lay one half sheet of phyllo dough in baking dish. Using a pastry brush, brush dough with butter. Repeat 7 more times to form crust. Spread spinach mixture evenly over crust. Brush one half sheet of phyllo dough with butter and lay on top of filling, butter side up. Repeat with remaining 7 sheets of dough. Using a serrated knife, lightly score top layer of dough into squares (this will make it easier to cut once baked). Bake until crust is lightly golden and filling is heated through, 50 to 60 minutes. Serve warm.
SIPHNOPITA
A Greek lemon-honey cheesecake-type dessert pie. If necessary, cream cheese can be substituted for Mizithra or Mascarpone, and other types of mild honey can be substituted for thyme or orange blossom. Cooking time does not include time to bake piecrust (presumably about 30-40 min). Good with a Mediterranean region sweet dessert wine.
Provided by echo echo
Categories Pie
Time 35m
Yield 8 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 6
Steps:
- Blend the cheese and honey together in a blender on low speed.
- Add in eggs slowly while blending.
- Blend in lemon peel, lemon juice and cinnamon.
- Pour into the baked piecrust and bake at 350°F until done, about 1/2 hour.
- Let cool, then chill in fridge a few hours.
SPANAKOPITA
Provided by Tyler Florence
Categories side-dish
Time 2h25m
Yield approximately 40 triangles
Number Of Ingredients 15
Steps:
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet and place over medium heat. Saute onions and garlic for 3 minutes until soft. Add the spinach, season with salt and pepper, and continue to saute until the spinach is limp, about 2 minutes. Add lemon juice, remove from heat and place in a colander, and squeeze out excess liquid. Set aside to cool. The filling needs to be cool and dry to prevent the phyllo from becoming soggy. In a medium bowl, beat the eggs with feta, coriander, and nutmeg. Season, then fold in the cooled spinach mixture until well blended.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F, brush 2 baking sheets with some melted butter. Unroll the phyllo dough and lay a sheet flat on a work surface. Take care to keep the phyllo covered with a damp, not wet, towel as you work to prevent drying out and becoming brittle. Brush the sheet with melted butter, then sprinkle evenly with some oregano and chives. Repeat with 2 more sheets of phyllo, stacking on top of each other. With a sharp knife or pizza cutter, cut the sheets lengthwise into thirds to form 2 1/2-inch strips. Do this with all the sheets of dough.
- Place a heaping teaspoon of filling near 1 corner of the layered phyllo strip. Fold the end at an angle over the filling to form a triangle. Continue to fold the triangle along the strip until you reach the end, like folding up a flag. Brush the top with butter and dust with Parmesan, place on prepared baking sheet, and cover while preparing the remaining pastries. Repeat until all the filling and phyllo strips are used up. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes until the triangles are crisp and golden. Serve hot, warm or cold.
SPANAKOPITA (SPINACH TRIANGLES OR PIE)
Provided by Food Network
Categories appetizer
Time 1h25m
Yield 60 triangles or 1 (9 by 13inch
Number Of Ingredients 9
Steps:
- Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large saute pan, add half of the spinach and saute until spinach wilts, tossing with tongs, about 2 minutes. Remove spinach and squeeze out excess liquid, then chop roughly. Repeat with remaining spinach, using 1 more tablespoon of olive oil. Pour off any liquid from the pan, and add remaining olive oil. Add scallions and saute until soft, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the spinach to the scallions, along with the parsley, salt and pepper. Cook over low heat for 1 to 2 minutes, then remove from heat to cool. (This part can be done ahead and kept refrigerated).
- Stir the feta and as much beaten egg to moisten the cooled spinach mixture.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Brush a baking sheet with some of the melted butter.
- Unroll the filo dough on a flat surface and keep it covered with waxed paper and a damp towel so it doesn't dry out and become brittle. Using a sharp knife, cut the filo into 3 by 11 inch strips, and recover with the towel. Use a pastry brush to brush a strip of filo with melted butter. Place a small spoonful of spinach filling 1 inch from the end of the pastry. Fold the end over the filling to form a triangle, then continue to fold up the strip in triangles, like folding up a flag. Continue with remaining strips of dough, placing filled triangles on the baking sheet and keeping them covered with a towel until all are ready to bake.
- Brush the triangles lightly with butter, then bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden and crisp. Serve hot. (These may be frozen before baking, layering waxed paper between layers of triangles to keep them from sticking. Bake frozen triangles an extra 10 minutes.)
SKILLET SPANAKOPITA
Buttery, bright and herbaceous, this recipe is a faster take on the Greek spinach and feta pie and far less effort than forming individual triangular spanakopita pastries. A combination of stovetop cooking and oven baking ensures that the filling stays moist while the crust gets crisp. First, the spinach is cooked down in a mixture of butter, garlic and leeks until it wilts enough to release any moisture. Then, the filling is prepared, and the spanakopita assembled in the skillet. Give the phyllo a head start on the stovetop, then transfer to the oven so the spinach filling cooks through at the same time the phyllo becomes flaky. The timing may be precise for the cooking, but you can eat it whenever you want: This spanakopita is just as good at room temperature as it is warm.
Provided by Alexa Weibel
Categories brunch, dinner, lunch, casseroles, vegetables, main course
Time 1h
Yield 6 to 8 servings
Number Of Ingredients 13
Steps:
- In a large (preferably 10-inch) cast-iron skillet, melt 3 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Add the leeks and garlic, season generously with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 5 minutes. Add one large handful of spinach at a time, sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper and stir until wilted, until you've added and seasoned all of the spinach and the mixture is thoroughly combined, about 12 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat and let cool.
- Arrange an oven rack in the middle position, and heat the oven to 400 degrees. In a large bowl, combine the parsley, dill, Parmesan, lemon zest and juice, and nutmeg, and stir to combine. Working with about 1 cup at a time, transfer the spinach mixture to a fine-mesh strainer or sieve set in the sink and press the mixture to remove as much liquid as possible, then add to the parsley mixture. Stir to combine, and season to taste with salt and pepper. (Feta is salty, so season very lightly with salt here.) Stir in the eggs, then gently fold in the feta, doing your best to leave the larger chunks intact.
- Prepare the phyllo crust: Wipe the skillet clean with a paper towel. In a small saucepan over low heat or in a microwave-safe bowl in the microwave, melt the remaining 5 tablespoons butter; set aside. Brush the bottom and sides of the skillet with melted butter. Working quickly with one phyllo sheet at a time, lightly brush the top of one sheet with butter, then lay it in the skillet, buttered-side up, with an overhang on all sides. Gently press it in to eliminate any large air bubbles between the phyllo and the pan. Repeat with the remaining phyllo sheets, rotating each sheet in a different direction as you add it.
- Spoon the spinach-feta mixture into the skillet, spreading in an even layer. Working with one tip of overhanging phyllo dough at a time, starting with the top layer first, lift it over the spinach-feta mixture and toward the center of the pan, loosely crinkling it as you go. Repeat with all of the phyllo sheets, then lightly brush the exposed surface of the phyllo with butter. (You should have a circle of uncovered spinach-feta mixture in the center, surrounded by a ring of crinkled phyllo dough.)
- Cook over medium heat on the stovetop for about 5 minutes to crisp the bottom crust. Transfer to middle rack of the oven, and bake until phyllo is golden and the filling is warmed, 20 to 25 minutes.
- Remove from oven, and let sit 10 minutes to cool and firm up. Sprinkle small sprigs of parsley and dill over the spinach-feta mixture, if desired. Slice into 6 to 8 wedges to serve. The spanakopita can be served warm or at room temperature.
Tips:
- Use fresh, high-quality ingredients: The better the ingredients, the better the siphnopita will taste.
- Don't overmix the dough: Overmixing will make the dough tough. Mix it just until it comes together.
- Let the dough rest before rolling it out: This will help the dough relax and make it easier to work with.
- Roll the dough out thinly: The thinner the dough, the crispier the siphnopita will be.
- Brush the dough with melted butter before adding the filling: This will help prevent the filling from sticking to the dough.
- Use a variety of fillings: Siphnopita can be filled with anything from cheese and spinach to meat and vegetables. Get creative and experiment with different flavors.
- Bake the siphnopita until it is golden brown: This will ensure that the dough is cooked through and the filling is hot and bubbly.
Conclusion:
Siphnopita is a delicious and versatile dish that can be enjoyed for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. It is easy to make and can be tailored to your own taste preferences. With a little practice, you'll be able to make perfect siphnopita every time. So next time you're looking for a quick and easy meal, give siphnopita a try. You won't be disappointed!
Are you curently on diet or you just want to control your food's nutritions, ingredients? We will help you find recipes by cooking method, nutrition, ingredients...
Check it out »
#60-minutes-or-less #time-to-make #course #main-ingredient #cuisine #preparation #pies-and-tarts #desserts #eggs-dairy #fruit #greek #oven #european #pies #cheese #eggs #dietary #citrus #lemon #equipment
You'll also love