"Spa" and a Greek Salad (Spanikopita)

Today's offering is a  recipe from last Saturday's Vegetable Main Courses class.  I really appreciate the folks who are coming out for the classes.  A full schedule is here and a gallery of pictures can be found here.  Next up is a pasta class on Thursday evening at 7:00 and at out usual 1:00 time on Saturday we'll meet to talk about Hors d’oeuvres and appetizers.

Spanikopita is the traditional Greek spinach and feta cheese pie.  "Spa" is restaurant slang for Spanikopita, as in "Gimmie four orders of Spa like yesterday, Malakia."  Variations, good and bad are made all over.  I learned this recipe thirty years ago from Mrs. Petsos.  Her twist was to substitute leeks for 1/3 of the spinach.  Give it a shot, it works out well.  All you have to do is wash the white part of the leeks, cut them into 1/2 inch dice and sautee them in olive oil with the onions.  

It is crucial that Spanikopita be fresh or else the phyllo dough breaks down and becomes soft and pasty.  Not good!  Spanikopita should go directly in the oven after it is assembled, since the phyllo dough will become soggy and never crisp up.   Also, buy a block of cheese, rather than getting that pre crumbled stuff.  That way, you'll know what you are getting, instead of having the feta cartel sell you sweepings from the factory floor.

Serve with a Greek salad, a simple thing with lettuce, olives, tomatoes, red onion and cucumbers.  Make the dressing out of lemon juice, olive oil, garlic and oregano.

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Spanikopita (serves 6)

2 lbs. fresh spinach

2 tbs. Spanish onion, finely diced

1 clove garlic, chopped

1/4 tsp. nutmeg, freshly grated

4 eggs

8 oz. feta cheese, crumbled

3 tbs. olive oil

8 oz. frozen phyllo dough

salt and black pepper

Take the phyllo dough out of the freezer to thaw one hour before preparing the Spanikopita.

Preheat the oven to 375°.  Heat 1 tbs. of olive oil in a large soup pot.  Sauté the onions until transparent, lower the heat to medium, add the garlic and handfuls of spinach, until all of it has been sweated down, stirring constantly.  Season with nutmeg, salt and black pepper.  Cook for an additional minute, until the nutmeg flavor opens up, then put the spinach in a large mixing bowl to cool for about ten minutes.

Crack the eggs into a bowl and mix them.  Reserve 2 tsp. of eggs for glazing the top of the Spanikopita.  When the spinach mix is cool to the touch, add the eggs and crumbled feta.  Mix to combine, do not whisk vigorously, since that would break up the feta too much. 

Lightly brush the olive oil into a 9 x 12 inch baking pan, fully coating the inside.  Line the bottom and sides of the pan with 4 sheets of phyllo dough, using a pastry brush to oil between sheets.  It is fine if they over lap.  Pour in the spinach mixture and spread it evenly over the phyllo.  Cover the top with 4 sheets of phyllo that also have been oiled.  Fold the edges over to seal the pie.  Brush the remaining egg on the pie, glazing the top of the Spanikopita. 

Bake for 40 minutes.  Cool for 10 minutes before cutting and serving.

*Spanikopita can also be made by folding the phyllo into triangles that enclose the spinach stuffing or by oiling and lining muffin tins with phyllo.