Recipe of the Week!

Spanakopita

As you might know I LOVE Greek food. I decided to make this Spanakopita (spinach pie) for myself to see how it would go. It was pretty good, but nothing compared to the BEST Spanakopita I've ever had (made by my sister-in-law's father-in-law...that's confusing). In my opinion Spanakopita is best eaten room temperature, or even a little bit cold. Seriously, try it. You won't go back.

Of course, with my blogging break, I made this recipe SO LONG ago that I cannot remember what I did. Really, I cant. I remember I couldn't fine one recipe that looked good to me online, so I looked at a whole bunch and kinda picked things I liked and didn't like and went from there. Below is my best attempt at remembering, but really if you add enough feta cheese everything will taste great.

Ingredients: 
2 pounds fresh spinach leaves chopped, or 10 oz. frozen
1/4 cup olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 cup snipped dillweed or 2 tablespoons dried dill
8 ounces feta cheese, finely crumbled
3 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
16 sheets phyllo pastry dough
1 stick butter, melted

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Saute onion and garlic until soft. Add the spinach in portions as it wilts/cooks. Cook and stir until liquid is released then evaporates, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl and cool. Lightly squeeze out and drain (or press out with a fork) any excess liquid. Stir in dillweed, both cheeses, and seasonings. Grease a 13 by 9 inch pan. Unroll phyllo on a dry work surface. Keep covered with a slightly damp towel to prevent drying. Line the pan with a sheet of phyllo, pressing into corners. Brush the entire sheet lightly with butter. Continue adding and buttering seven more layers. Spread the spinach filling over the top of the pastry sheets. Top the filling with another sheet of phyllo; brush with butter. Add 7 more sheets using the same method. Brush top with butter. Bake for 45 minutes or until pastry is crisp and golden brown. Cool for about five minutes to let the pastry set, then cut into squares or triangles.