Spanakopita (Greek Spinach Pie)

First, I must apologize for the novel that’s about to follow, but I have a lot to say about spanakopita… it has been a staple in my house since I can remember. I begged for spana at every birthday, Christmas, and occasion I can think of… needless to say, it’s one of my favorite foods ever. Little anecdote: when I was teaching 2nd and 3rd grade, I’d do cooking activities with my class a lot. Every month, we’d study a new country and learn about its music, language, culture, and food. When we’d get to Greece, we’d always make spanakopitas (along with other little goodies, but these always reigned as most popular). Most of the kids would cringe when they’d hear we were going to cook spinach, but once they tried them, they were in love- no exaggeration in four years, I think I only had two students who did not LOVE spanakopita. I can’t tell you how many parents came to me asking for the recipe, flabbergasted that their son or daughter liked anything with spinach. There’s just something about them… the flaky crust and savory cheesy inside… unlike anything else.

This recipe is different from ones you may see elsewhere… that’s because it’s a family recipe. And like my grandmother and mother, I don’t follow recipes… we all just make what we were taught from memory. With spanakopita, I was taught to use what I have around. ‘Spana’ refers to spinach, so that’s a given, as is feta and dill. But as far as the other cheeses and fillings go, you can put in whatever you have… if you have cottage cheese or ricotta around, throw some in. In Greece, people often make their own cheeses… whichever one’s around at the time goes in. I happened to have these cheeses around… and I prefer them in my pitas (spanaki- spinach, pita- pie = spinach pie). As long as it has spinach, dill, and feta layered between phyllo, it can be called spanakopita in my book. My mom sometimes uses kale, chard, or whatever other greens she has lying around from the garden… it’s always good no matter what version she makes! Also, another family secret (sshhh!), my mom taught me to throw in a little uncooked rice to soak up any extra fluids… best tip ever. This is what I made today…

* Oh, one side note… the more butter or ghee you use, the more buttery and flaky it will be. I didn’t want to make a batch that would be causing any heart attacks, so mine are super light on the butter-factor… you choose the level of butteriness you want 🙂
* I lied, two notes… you can make these in a large baking dish, like a lasagna pan, to make layered rectangular spanas for many, or you can roll up mini triangles or rolls for little personal-sized portions- good for appetizers or as a side dish. I usually do the triangles, but I made different sized appetizer portions today to show examples…

(portions for appetizers, double for large sheets)

INGREDIENTS

1 package frozen spinach, thawed and strained of moisture

3 tbsp olive oil (I always use extra virgin)

1 cup leeks, chopped

1/4 cup scallions, chopped

1/2 cup fresh dill, chopped

1/2 cup feta cheese

1 tbsp cottage cheese

2 tbsp ricotta cheese

1 tbsp shredded parmesan

1/8 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1 egg

1/8 cup uncooked rice, approx.

2 tbsp ghee or butter, melted

1 egg white, optional

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium/high heat

Add leeks with a dash of salt and pepper

Saute for about 5 minutes

(a note about preparing leeks- it’s best to chop them first, whites and greens, and then soak them in a bowl of water to clean them… they harbor a lot if gunk so immersing them in water really helps)