**Spanakopita: A Culinary Journey to Greek Delights**
Spanakopita, a traditional Greek dish, is a delightful marriage of flavors and textures that has captivated taste buds for centuries. This savory pie boasts layers of flaky phyllo dough enveloping a vibrant filling of spinach, feta cheese, herbs, and aromatics. Its golden-brown crust conceals a symphony of fresh spinach, tangy feta, fragrant dill, aromatic onions, and a touch of minty freshness. Each bite reveals a perfect balance of textures, from the crispiness of the phyllo to the delightful chewiness of the filling. Whether enjoyed as a main course or a delectable appetizer, spanakopita embodies the essence of Greek cuisine with its irresistible charm and timeless appeal.
**Unveiling the Culinary Treasures Within**
This comprehensive guide takes you on a culinary adventure, presenting a collection of spanakopita recipes that cater to diverse preferences and skill levels. From the classic spanakopita recipe that stays true to tradition to innovative variations that introduce exciting twists, these recipes offer a delightful array of flavors and styles.
- **Classic Spanakopita**: Embark on a journey to the heart of Greek cuisine with this authentic spanakopita recipe. This step-by-step guide ensures that you recreate the magic of this timeless dish, capturing the essence of its simplicity and deliciousness.
- **Vegan Spanakopita**: Indulge in a plant-based rendition of spanakopita that delivers on both taste and nourishment. This vegan version is a symphony of flavors and textures, featuring a hearty filling of spinach, tofu, and a blend of herbs and spices, all enveloped in layers of crispy phyllo dough.
- **Tyropita**: Experience the delightful simplicity of tyropita, a close cousin to spanakopita. This version replaces the spinach with a generous filling of feta cheese, creating a rich and creamy explosion of flavors.
- **Spanakorizo**: Discover the comforting goodness of spanakorizo, a traditional Greek rice dish that combines spinach, rice, and fresh herbs. This flavorful dish is a delightful combination of textures and a perfect accompaniment to grilled meats or fish.
- **Spanakopita Rolls**: Enjoy the goodness of spanakopita in a fun and convenient form with these delectable rolls. Filled with spinach, feta, and herbs, these rolls are perfect for on-the-go snacking or as an elegant appetizer.
- **Spanakopita Bites**: Elevate your next party or gathering with these bite-sized delights. These spanakopita bites are a delightful fusion of flavors and textures, featuring a crispy phyllo crust and a vibrant spinach and feta filling.
- **Spanakopita Muffins**: Transform spanakopita into a delightful breakfast or brunch treat with these savory muffins. These muffins are packed with spinach, feta, and herbs, offering a delicious and portable way to start your day.
EASY GREEK SPINACH PIE FOR BEGINNERS (SPANAKOPITA)
It doesn't matter if you haven't made a pie before. This amazing easy Greek spinach pie recipe (spanakopita) is made in only one hour from scratch!
Provided by Eli K. Giannopoulos
Categories Sides
Time 1h
Number Of Ingredients 11
Steps:
- If you choose to prepare this Greek spinach pie recipe with commercial phyllo dough, it is important to thaw completely the phyllo dough by putting it in the fridge from the previous day. For the beginners at working with phyllo, check the handling tips before start making the spanakopita.
- Heat the oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6.
- To prepare this spinach pie recipe, sauté the onions in a large knob of butter until soft and turning golden. Add the garlic and cook for a couple of minutes. Add the spinach in batches and cook until wilted. Cool, then tip into a bowl (leaving behind any excess liquid from the spinach) and mix in the nutmeg, feta, eggs, spring onion and season. This will be the filling of the spanakopita.
- For this spinach pie recipe you will need a non stick baking pan, about 20-22cm. Put the first sheet of filo in the pan and brush with butter, letting the excess hang over the sides. Keep going with the rest of the sheets, turning a little before adding each additional pastry sheet and brushing all over with butter. When all the pastry is used up, tip in the filling of the spanakopita and fold over the excess pastry to cover. If you like to prepare a larger pan of spanakopita for a big crowd, double the ingredients for the filling and use a 25*35 cm baking dish. Layer the 4-5 phyllo sheets to form the bottom of the spanakopita, tip in the filling and top with 4-5 more phyllo sheets.
- Butter the top of the spinach pie with melted butter and scar with a sharp knife. Bake in preheated oven for about 30 minutes until the filo is crisp and golden.
- Leave the spanakopita cool down for 10-15 minutes before cutting into pieces. Serve the spinach pie with Greek feta salad. Enjoy!
SPANAKOPITA (GREEK SPINACH PIE)
This is an authentic, really rich pie stuffed with spinach, onions, cheeses and herbs that are all enfolded by crispy, flaky phyllo dough.
Provided by SILVERWOLF
Categories World Cuisine Recipes European Greek
Time 1h30m
Yield 5
Number Of Ingredients 11
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly oil a 9x9 inch square baking pan.
- 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 parsley, and continue to saute until spinach is limp, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
- In a medium bowl, mix together eggs, ricotta, and feta. Stir in spinach mixture. 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 two more sheets of phyllo. The sheets will overlap the pan. Spread spinach and cheese mixture into pan and fold overhanging dough over filling. Brush with oil, then layer remaining 4 sheets of phyllo dough, brushing each with oil. Tuck overhanging dough into pan to seal filling.
- Bake in preheated oven for 30 to 40 minutes, until golden brown. Cut into squares and serve while hot.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 494.1 calories, Carbohydrate 31.5 g, Cholesterol 100.3 mg, Fat 34.7 g, Fiber 7.4 g, Protein 18.2 g, SaturatedFat 11.5 g, Sodium 893.9 mg, Sugar 5.4 g
SPANAKOPITA: GREEK SPINACH PIE WITH FETA CHEESE
Steps:
- Gather the ingredients.
- Wash and drain the chopped spinach very well. If using frozen spinach, thaw completely and squeeze out excess water. The spinach should be dry before you begin cooking.
- Heat 1/2 cup of the olive oil in a deep sauté pan or large Dutch oven. Sauté the onions and green onions until tender.
- Add the spinach, parsley, and dill , and cook for 5 to 10 minutes until the spinach is wilted and heated through.
- Add the nutmeg and season with salt and pepper. The spinach mixture should be on the dry side; if using frozen spinach, you will want to cook it until any excess moisture evaporates. Remove from the heat and set the spinach mixture aside to cool.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the feta, eggs, and ricotta cheese.
- Add the cooled spinach mixture and mix until combined.
- Gather the ingredients.
- Combine the melted butter with the olive oil in a bowl. Using a pastry brush, lightly grease 2 (9 x 12-inch) rectangular pans.
- Carefully remove the phyllo roll from the plastic sleeve. Most packages come in 12 x 18-inch sheets when opened fully.
- Using kitchen scissors or a sharp knife, cut the sheets in half to make 2 stacks of 9 x 12-inch sheets. To prevent drying, cover 1 stack with wax paper and a damp paper towel while working with the other.
- Preheat the oven to 350 F. Layer about 10 sheets of phyllo on the bottom of each pan, making sure to brush each sheet with the butter-olive oil mixture before layering the next.
- Add half of the spinach mixture to each pan in an even layer and press with a spatula to flatten.
- Layer another 10 phyllo sheets on top of the spinach mixture in each pan, making sure to brush each sheet well with the butter-olive oil mixture.
- Before baking, score the top layer of the phyllo (making sure not to puncture the filling) to enable easier cutting of pieces later. (You can place the pan in the freezer to harden the top layers and then use a serrated knife to make the cutting easier.)
- Bake until the pie turns a deep golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes.
- Let cool for a few minutes and then slice, serve, and enjoy.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 295 kcal, Carbohydrate 23 g, Cholesterol 36 mg, Fiber 3 g, Protein 9 g, SaturatedFat 7 g, Sodium 365 mg, Sugar 3 g, Fat 20 g, ServingSize 12 to 16 Servings, UnsaturatedFat 0 g
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.
GREEK SPINACH BAKE
Spanakopita is the Greek name for this traditional dish featuring spinach and feta cheese. You can serve it as a side dish or meatless main dish. My dad and I used to fight over the last piece. -Sharon Olney, Galt, California
Provided by Taste of Home
Categories Dinner Side Dishes
Time 1h10m
Yield 6 servings.
Number Of Ingredients 7
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 350°. In a large bowl, combine the cottage cheese, spinach and feta cheese. Stir in the flour, pepper and salt. Add eggs and mix well. , Spoon into a greased 9-in. square baking dish. Bake, uncovered, until a thermometer reads 160°, about 1 hour.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 262 calories, Fat 13g fat (7g saturated fat), Cholesterol 178mg cholesterol, Sodium 838mg sodium, Carbohydrate 14g carbohydrate (4g sugars, Fiber 3g fiber), Protein 21g protein.
SPANAKOPITA (GREEK SPINACH AND FETA PIE)
You can make this recipe with fresh spinach or three boxes of frozen chopped spinach; fresh spinach will have a better flavor and texture, but it takes much longer to wash and stem. Baby spinach works very well and requires less work, if you don't mind paying the extra price.
Provided by Abby Falck
Categories Savory Pies
Time 1h
Yield 8-12 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 11
Steps:
- Preheat the oven to 375º F.
- (For fresh spinach) Working in batches, wash and drain the spinach. Discard any large stems and chop the leaves coarsely. Combine the spinach, parsley, dill, green onions and salt. Let stand in a colander for 15 minutes and then press out the liquid. (For frozen spinach) Thaw the spinach and squeeze out most of the water, leaving just a little to prevent it drying out in the oven. Combine with the parsley, dill, green onions and salt.
- Heat the olive oil in a deep skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering, then add the onions and saute until transparent.
- Adjust the heat to medium, add the spinach mixture in batches and saute until the spinach and herbs are wilted.
- Turn off the heat and stir the feta and black pepper into the mixture.
- Butter a 10"x17"x2" baking pan and lay 8 filo sheets in the bottom, brushing each layer with butter or spraying it with oil.
- Spread the spinach mixture into the baking pan.
- Cover with the remaining filo sheets, brushing each layer with butter or spraying it with oil.
- Bake until the top is golden brown, about 30 minutes.
CRISPY GREEK-STYLE PIE
A crispy pie that you can adapt for your needs, add chicken or keep it veggie. A good fail-safe for your repertoire
Provided by Good Food team
Categories Dinner, Lunch, Main course, Snack, Supper
Time 40m
Number Of Ingredients 5
Steps:
- Put the spinach into a large pan. Pour over a couple tbsp water, then cook until just wilted. Tip into a sieve, leave to cool a little, then squeeze out any excess water and roughly chop. Roughly chop the tomatoes and put into a bowl along with the spinach, feta and eggs. Mix well.
- Carefully unroll the filo pastry. Cover with some damp sheets of kitchen paper to stop it drying out. Take a sheet of pastry and brush liberally with some of the sundried tomato oil. Drape oil-side down in a 22cm loosebottomed cake tin so that some of the pastry hangs over the side. Brush oil on another piece of pastry and place in the tin, just a little further round. Keep placing the pastry pieces in the tin until you have roughly three layers, then spoon over the filling. Pull the sides into the middle, scrunch up and make sure the filling is covered. Brush with a little more oil.
- Heat oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Cook the pie for 30 mins until the pastry is crisp and golden brown. Remove from the cake tin, slice into wedges and serve with salad.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 250 calories, Fat 13 grams fat, SaturatedFat 5 grams saturated fat, Carbohydrate 23 grams carbohydrates, Sugar 5 grams sugar, Fiber 3 grams fiber, Protein 13 grams protein, Sodium 0.3 milligram of sodium
Tips:
- Use fresh spinach for the best flavor and texture.
- Squeeze the spinach dry to remove excess moisture before adding it to the filling.
- Use a combination of feta and ricotta cheeses for a rich and creamy filling.
- Add chopped fresh herbs, such as dill, parsley, or mint, to the filling for extra flavor.
- Use filo dough that is at room temperature to prevent it from cracking when you fold it.
- Brush each layer of filo dough with melted butter to create a crispy and flaky crust.
- Bake the spanakopita until the filo dough is golden brown and the filling is hot and bubbly.
- Let the spanakopita cool for at least 15 minutes before slicing and serving.
Conclusion:
Spanakopita is a delicious and versatile dish that can be served as an appetizer, main course, or side dish. It is a great way to use up leftover spinach and feta cheese, and it is also a popular dish to serve at parties and gatherings. With its flaky filo dough, creamy filling, and fresh herbs, spanakopita is a dish that is sure to please everyone.
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