Karens Best Spanakopita Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
• Heat the olive oil in a saute pan and add the scallions. Cook for 5 minutes or until soft. Meanwhile, squeeze most of the water out of the spinach and place it in a bowl. Add the scallions, dill, eggs, feta, salt, and pepper and mix together.
• Keep the phyllo dough sheets covered with a damp kitchen towel. Unfold 1 sheet of the phyllo dough. Brush the sheet with melted butter and sprinkle with breadcrumbs. Repeat the process by laying a second sheet of phyllo dough over the first sheet, brush it with melted butter and sprinkle with breadcrumbs until all 10 sheets have been used. Spoon 3/4 cup of the spinach mixture into a sausage shape along one edge of the phyllo dough. Roll it up. Brush the top with butter and score the roll into 1-inch rounds. Place it on an oiled baking sheet. Repeat until all the pastry and filling have been used.
• Place in the oven and bake for 12 minutes or until the edges are lightly browned. Serve warm.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Heat the olive oil in a medium saute pan, add the onion, and cook for 5 minutes over medium-low heat. Add the scallions, and cook for another 2 minutes until the scallions are wilted but still green. Meanwhile, gently squeeze most of the water out of the spinach and place it in a large bowl.
• When the onion and scallions are done, add them to the spinach. Mix in the eggs, Parmesan cheese, 3 tablespoons bread crumbs, the nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Gently fold in the feta and pine nuts.
• Place 1 sheet of phyllo dough flat on a work surface with the long end in front of you. Brush the dough lightly with butter and sprinkle it with a teaspoon of bread crumbs. Working quickly, slide another sheet of phyllo dough on top of the first, brush it with butter, and sprinkle lightly with bread crumbs. (Use just enough bread crumbs so the layers of phyllo don't stick together.) Pile 4 layers total on top of each other this way, brushing each with butter and sprinkling with bread crumbs. Cut the sheets of phyllo in half lengthwise. Place 1/3 cup spinach filling on the shorter end and roll the phyllo up diagonally as if folding a flag. Then fold the triangle of phyllo over straight and then diagonally again. Continue folding first diagonally and then straight until you reach the end of the sheet. The filling should be totally enclosed. Continue assembling phyllo layers and folding the filling until all of the filling is used. Place on a sheet pan, seam sides down. Brush with melted butter, sprinkle with flaked salt, and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the phyllo is browned and crisp. Serve hot.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees. In a small saucepan, melt butter and oil together over low heat. Brush an 11-by-15-by-2-inch baking pan with butter-oil mixture. Layer 7 sheets of phyllo in pan, brushing each with butter mixture. In a large bowl, thoroughly combine remaining ingredients, except phyllo.
• Spread about 2 cups spinach filling over phyllo in pan. Cover with 2 sheets phyllo, brushing each with butter mixture. Repeat layering 2 cups filling and 2 sheets phyllo, brushing each with butter mixture, until all filling has been used, about 4 more layers.
• Top with 7 more sheets of phyllo, brushing each with butter mixture. Press gently around the edges so layers adhere. Prick surface all over with a toothpick.
• Bake 15 minutes, reduce heat to 300 degrees and continue baking until pastry is golden, about 1 hour. Let stand 1 hour before serving.

Steps:

• Saute onion in oil over medium heat until translucent. Add the spinach until it wilts. Raise heat to high and boil off the water from the wilted spinach. After the water has evaporated, remove from heat. Add parsley. Crumble the feta and add to the mixture. Add eggs one at a time and mix with a spoon until incorporated. Add salt and pepper to taste. (May require less salt due to the saltiness of the feta). Set filling aside. Butter a 9 x13 pan and layer fillo sheets one at a time to cover the botton and sides, buttering between sheets with melted butter using a pastry brush. Layer 8 sheets on the bottom and up the sides. Pour filling into prepared pan. Layer 8 more fillo sheets on top, buttering with the melted butter between sheets. Trim any excess fillo dough leaving a slight overhang. Fold the overhang up over the filling and butter to help it adhere to the top. Bake at 350 for 50-60 mins until puffed and golden and filling is set. Cool 15- 20 minutes before serving.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
• Melt the butter and olive oil together in an 8-inch skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and scallions and season with ¼ teaspoon salt and the nutmeg. Cook for 6-8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are softened. Stir in the spinach, season with the remaining teaspoon of salt, and cook for 4-5 minutes, until most of the moisture has evaporated. Stir in the dill, parsley, mint, and sugar and cook for 1-2 minutes more, until the herbs are fragrant. Remove the pan from heat and let the filling cool, about 10 minutes.
• Beat the eggs in a large bowl, then fold in the shredded and crumbled feta. Add the cooled spinach mixture to the eggs and feta and fold to combine.
• Wipe out the skillet and lightly grease with olive oil. Lay a sheet of phyllo dough across the pan, gently tucking flush against the bottom (it will hang over the edges) and lightly brush or spray with olive oil. Lay another sheet of phyllo dough on top of the first sheet in another direction and lightly brush or spray with olive oil. Repeat with 4 more sheets of phyllo, alternating where the overhanging phyllo falls each time. Add the spinach filling to the skillet, smoothing the top, and fold the overhanging phyllo over the filling.
• Tear the remaining 4 sheets of phyllo in half crosswise. Crumble each piece of phyllo on top of the filling, covering the entire surface. Lightly brush or spray the entire top of the pie with olive oil.
• Bake the spanakopita for 38-43 minutes, or until the filling is set and the phyllo is golden brown in most places.
• Let cool for 15-20 minutes before slicing and serving.
• Enjoy!

Steps:

• Boil the spinach and onions in a large pot on medium-high heat until everything is soft and wilted. Remove from heat and strain. In a large bowl, mix feta cheese, dill, parsley, and oregano. Add spinach and onion preparation, blend well.
• For casserole dish:
• Lay 2 layers of phyllo pastry at the bottom of your dish, brush with a little bit of olive oil. Spoon in spinach and feta mixture until full and cover with 2 phyllo sheets, wrapping the extra edges on top for decorative presentation or simply cut them off. Brush with olive oil. Bake for 20-25 minutes in 350 degree oven or until the phyllo is golden. Sprinkle with 1/2 tbsp parsley and 1 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese.
• For cookie sheet:
• Lay out one sheet of phyllo dough and place in the centre of the left-hand side (the pile should be longer than it is wide and fairly even, about an inch and a half or two inches tall) about 1 cup of the mixture and roll it to the right. Tuck the extruding top and bottom to the inside and keep rolling. Brush the top with olive oil to make it crispy and brown :) Then sprinkle them with 1/2 tbsp parsley and 1 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese (spread out, not all on one). Make as many as you can!
• Bake for 10-15 minutes at 350 degrees or until golden.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• In a small pan, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter and saute the scallions until tender.
• Chop the spinach and place in a large saucepan. Cover and cook over medium heat until wilted, about 15 minutes. Drain, pressing out as much liquid as possible. Mix together the spinach, scallions, cottage cheese, feta, dill, parsley, farina and eggs in a large bowl. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper and mix to combine.
• Melt the remaining 2 sticks butter. Butter a 2-quart decorated ring mold (reserving the rest of the butter for brushing the phyllo).
• Unfold the phyllo and place under plastic wrap to keep it from drying out. Remove one sheet of pastry at a time, brush with the melted butter and begin lining the mold (1 1/2 inches of pastry should hang over the outer edge of the mold). Continue fitting phyllo sheets into the mold, turning it as you go in order to make even layers (the sheets will overlap in the center hole of the mold). Use about 20 sheets of phyllo.
• Fill the mold with the spinach mixture. Draw the overhanging outer edges of phyllo over the filling. Butter and arrange the remaining sheets of phyllo, one at a time, to completely cover the filling; cut out and discard the pastry over the center of the hole of the mold.
• Place the mold on a baking sheet to catch the butter drippings. Bake until golden brown and puffed, about 1 1/4 hours. Let stand in the mold 5 to 15 minutes before unmolding onto a warm platter. Serve.