Spanakopita is a traditional Greek pastry. It is made with phyllo dough, spinach and feta cheese. The dish is thought have originated over 400 years ago during the Turkish occupation of Greece. The Greeks embraced the dish and made it their own. Today, it has become a popular appetizer as well. Bite sized triangle versions of the casserole have become popular party food. Whichever way it is made, this flakey, savory dish will even be a hit with non vegetable eaters.
1 tablespoon olive oil in a sauté pan and turn on to medium. Cook onion for 8 minutes or until translucent. Add garlic and spinach. Cook until spinach is wilted and soft. Remove from heat and squeeze out water in a colander.
Place spinach mixture in a bowl and add dill, parsley, feta cheese and eggs. Mix until well combined.
Line the bottom of the baking dish with two sheets of the phyllo letting them cover the sides. Brush with olive oil to keep moist. Add two more and repeat until ⅔ of the phyllo dough is gone. As evenly as possible, add the spinach mixture. Bake at 325 degrees F for 40 minutes or until phyllo is golden brown and crispy.
PARENT PREP: because someone has to do the dirty work
KIDTASTIC! Tasks for the kiddos
PARENT TASK: Keeping kids out of the hospital one task at a time
TEAM TASK: Kids and parents joining force
PARENT CHEAT: Because time is of the essence
**Every child is different when it comes to what they can do in the kitchen. The “kidtastic!” And “Parent tasks” are only suggestions when it comes to dividing up jobs. Always supervise your child in the kitchen and go at their pace.**
Parent Cheat: Use frozen, cooked spinach.
Parent Prep: Dice garlic and onion.
[wpurp-searchable-recipe]Spinach Pie (Spanikopita) – – , ; – [/wpurp-searchable-recipe]
Spinach Pie (Spanikopita)
Ingredients
- 1 lb frozen spinach (or two pounds fresh spinach cooked down)
- 3 teaspoon dill
- 2 garlic cloves chopped
- 1 medium yellow or white onion chopped
- 10 oz feta cheese
- 2 eggs
- 16 oz package filo dough
- ¼ cup olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Team Task: 1 tablespoon olive oil in a sauté pan and turn on to medium. Cook onion for 8 minutes or until translucent. Add garlic and spinach. Cook until spinach is wilted and soft. Remove from heat and squeeze out water in a colander.
- Kidtastic! Place spinach mixture in a bowl and add dill, parsley, feta cheese and eggs. Mix until well combined.
- Kidtastic! Rub olive oil all around the bottom and sides of a 9 ½” x 13” baking dish.
- Team Task: Unwrap phyllo dough and place between two damp paper towels **phyllo dough is very fragile and breaks really easily. Not a problem for the dish, but the damp paper towels help it stay pliable and keep it from drying out.
- Team Task: Line the bottom of the baking dish with two sheets of the phyllo letting them cover the sides. Brush with olive oil to keep moist. Add two more and repeat until ⅔ of the phyllo dough is gone. As evenly as possible, add the spinach mixture over the top of the phyllo. Top the spinach mixture with remaining phyllo, two at a time brushing with olive oil in the same manner as before. If any phyllo comes over the sides, fold it down and add more olive oil to it.
- Parent task: Bake at 325 degrees F for 40 minutes or until phyllo is golden brown and crispy.
