Spanakopita (spinach-cheese Pie)

CATEGORY	CUISINE	TAG	YIELD
Dairy, Vegetables, Eggs	Greek	Cheese, Greek, Middle east, Time/life, Vegetable	8	Servings

INGREDIENTS

1/4	c	Olive oil
1/2	c	Onion, finely chopped
1/4	c	Scallions, finely chopped
		including 2 inches of green
		tops
2	lb	Spinach, fresh washed
		thoroughly drained & finely
		chopped
1/4	c	Dill leaves, fresh finely
		chopped or 2 tablespoons
		dried dill weed
1/4	c	Parsley, finely chopped
		prefer flat leaf parsley
1/2	t	Salt
		Black pepper, freshly ground
1/3	c	Milk
1/2	lb	Feta cheese, finely crumbled
4		Egg, lightly beaten
1/2	lb	Butter, melted
16		Filo pastry sheets, Â½ lb.
		each about 16 inches long &
		12 inches wide

INSTRUCTIONS

In a heavy 10 to 12 inch skillet, heat the olive oil over moderate
heat until a light haze forms above it.  Add the onions and scallions
and, stirring frequently, cook for 5 minutes, or until they are soft
and transparent but not brown.  Stir in the spinach, cover tightly,
and cook for 5 minutes.  then add the dill, parsley, salt and a few
grindings of pepper and, stirring and shaking the pan almost
constantly, cook uncovered for about 10 minutes, or until most of the
liquid in the skillet has evaporated and the spinach has begun to
stick lightly to the pan. Transfer the spinach mixture to a dep bowl
and stir in the milk. cool to room temperature, then add the cheese
and slowly beat in the eggs. Taste for seasoning. Preheat the oven to
300 degrees (F).  With a pastry brush, coat the bottom and sides of a
12 by 7 by 2 inch baking dish with melted butter. Line the dish with  a
sheet of filo, pressing the edges of the pastry firmly into the
corners and against the sides of the dish. Brush the entire surface  of
the pastry with about 2 or 3 teaspoons of the remaining butter,
spreading it all the way to the outside edges and lay another sheet  of
filo on top.  Spread with another 2 or 3 teaspoons of butter and
continue construction the pie in this fashion until you have used 8
layers of the filo in all. With a rubber spatula, spread the spinach
mixture evenly over the last layer of filo and smooth it into the
corners. Then place another sheet of the filo on top, coat with
butter, and repeat with the remaining layers of filo and butter as
before. Trim the excess pastry from around the rim of the dish with
scissors. Brush the top of the pie with the remaining butter and bake
in the middle of the oven for 1 hour, or until the pastry is crisp  and
delicately browned. Cut into squares and serve hot or at room
temperature.  Source: Time Life Series: Middle Eastern Cooking  "crica
69"  MMed by: earl.cravens@salata.com Posted to recipelu-digest by
GramWag  <GramWag@aol.com> on Mar 18, 1998

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Nutrition (calculated from recipe ingredients) ---------------------------------------------- Calories: 438 Calories From Fat: 349 Total Fat: 39.7g Cholesterol: 180mg Sodium: 964.8mg Potassium: 595.7mg Carbohydrates: 11.1g Fiber: 5.9g Sugar: 3.1g Protein: 14g