Spanakopitas
Spanakopita, is a Greek classic, made with spinach and feta cheese and wrapped in a phyllo pastry that can be made into a large pie or little triangles. The shape of these triangles might look intimidating, but they're actually so easy to fold! Once baked it crisps up and forms airy little layers that just melt in your mouth when eaten. Quick and easy to make, these vegetarian bites are great for any party or celebration. What you’ll need to make Spanakopita's If you haven’t tried spanakopita triangles before, then you are certainly missing out! Why? Because they are crispy, juicy and stuffed with herby, tangy spinach and feta mixture! These crispy spanakopita triangles are like no other vegetarian pie you’ve ever tried before! Spinach— The main ingredient that you’ll need to make these spanakopita triangles. I use fresh baby spinach but you can also use frozen. Just make sure to defrost it in the microwave or on your hob before adding into the panCheese— I’m using feta cheese which is what’s traditionally used in this. We will also be using some grated mature cheddar cheese for extra flavour. Eggs— The eggs will bind our filling and allow for a really satisfying filling.Fresh Herbs — You can play around with fresh herbs in the mixture but my favourite is fresh dill.Seasoning— Salt and Freshly Ground PepperButter— I usually always use unsalted butter to control the sodium content of any dish.Phyllo Pastry — You can use either store-bought or homemade. Be sure to take it out of the freezer to allow it to thaw completely in the fridge before using it.Tips for working with PhylloThaw the phyllo dough, with the package closed, overnight in the refrigerator. A very common mistake is to leave it defrost at room temperature as this will make the outer layers gummy when working with phyllo dough, it should be defrosted, but still cold.Take the phyllo dough out of the package and unroll it onto a flat surface. Keep the phyllo covered with plastic wrap or a damp towel when you're not working with it.Lay out one sheet of dough with the long end facing you. Brush the melted butter over the dough.Add a second layer of dough on top of the first, then brush the second layer with butter.Cut the dough vertically into 6 strips.Place 1 1/2 teaspoons of filling on one end of the dough strip. Fold one corner of the dough over the filling to make a triangle shape.Fold the strip of dough over itself the same way you'd fold a flag until you reach the end. Brush a little melted butter over the top and place the triangle on the prepared sheet pan.Repeat the process with the remaining dough and filling.Arrange the triangles 5cms apart on the sheet pans. Bake one pan at a time for 18-20 minutes or until golden brown. Serve immediately.
Ingredients
- 1 500 Gr Pkt Phyllo Pastry
- 1 400 Gr Pkt Baby Spinach
- 1 Tbles Dried Dill
- 1 Tsp Garlic Paste
- 3 XL Eggs Lightly Beaten
- 200 Gr Mature Cheddar Cheese Grated
- 1 Cup Feta Cheese Crumbled
- 1 Tbles Oil
- Salt And Freshly Ground Pepper To Taste
- 1/3 Cup Melted Butter
Instructions
- Wash and drain the spinach.
- In a large pot steam the spinach for a few minutes over medium high heat. Allow to wilt and drain well in a colander making sure to squeeze out the excess water. Chop finely.
- Grate the cheeses into a bowl and add the chopped spinach, dill, garlic paste, beaten eggs and oil and season to taste. Take care when adding more salt as the feta cheese is already quite salty.
- Brush two sheets of phyllo pastry with melted butter.
- Cut into 6 strips lengthwise and place 11/2 teaspoons of the filling onto each strip before wrapping into a triangle.
- Seal the edges with melted butter to close the triangle. Continue until all the ingredients have been used.
- Can be frozen at this stage.
- Bake from frozen in a preheated 200°C oven for approx. 18- 20 minutes until lightly golden.
Notes
Before baking brush the frozen triangles with melted butter and sprinkle with black and white sesame seeds.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!