About twice a year, I make a big batch of spanakopita, which I love. I can't remember where this recipe comes from, but I've had it for AGES, like since I was a teenager.
Filling:
1 package phyllo/filo dough, found in your grocery's freezer section
2 pounds fresh or frozen spinach (for this recipe, I used four packages frozen)
2 tsp olive oil
2 onions, diced
2-4 cloves garlic, minced
3 eggs or egg replacer
1/4 cup fresh chopped dill
1/4 tsp each nutmeg and black pepper
12 oz feta cheese, chopped (omit for vegan)
1/3 cups pine nuts, toasted (optional)
salt to taste
1/2 cup bread crumbs or more
Wash spinach if using fresh, shake off excess water. Cook in large pot over medium heat with just the water clinging to the leaves, turning often for about 5 minutes or until wilted. Remove from pot and chill under cold running water. Press out water, chop and reserve. For frozen spinach, thaw, press out excess water and chop.
In large skillet, heat oil over medium heat, cook onions and garlic for around 10 minutes or until tender but not browned. In large bowl, beat eggs, stir in onion mixture, spinach, dill, nutmeg and pepper. Mix in feta, pine nuts and bread crumbs. If you're using thawed spinach, it literally takes about 5 minutes to throw this filling together.
(*I should add here that I haven't included pine nuts in this recipe for many years because, simply, I suck at toasting them, and pine nuts cost a fortune. The difference between "toasted" and "burnt" is approximately 3.5 seconds, but if you can manage to toast them and not blink and ruin them the way I do every time, please feel free to use them. As I recall, they are best when chopped finely after toasting.)
Melt a few tbsp butter/margarine in a small bowl for brushing onto phyllo. Place clean tea towel on work surface. Place one sheets of phyllo on separate work surface, keeping remainder covered wth plastic wrap and damp towel to prevent drying out (this is important). I make these using the "flag" folding method to make triangles. I cut the sheets of phyllo in half once for large triangles, or into four pieces for smaller triangles. Brush each long sheet of phyllo with a bit of butter, place filling on the bottom in a triangle shape with one corner and side full of filling. Fold over into a triangle, then continue to fold the triangle up towards the top of the sheet. Seal the top seam with butter then place on a cookie sheet, seam side down. If these instructions are kind of unclear, I'm sure you can do a quick search on google to find a step-by-step picture of how to fold a flag - same thing!
Cook at approximately 360 degrees F for between 30 minutes and 45 minutes - they should turn out a nice golden brown. I usually bake half my batch then freeze the rest. They can then be baked straight out of the freezer at about the same temperature, but for just a bit longer. I would say this recipe made maybe 20 large triangles this last time.
I apologize for the below picture, I swear they normally look tastier and flakier than this - but this triangle was a leftover spanakopita that I took to work and re-heated in the microwave - not as pretty as it was fresh out of the oven, but just as tasty :) I ate it with some mashed yams and gravy for lunch - delicious!
