Spanakopita

Oh, Honey Me, but my Spanakopita was heavenly. My family LOVED them.

Naturally, I altered the original recipe to suit me. I just couldn’t face pouring ½ cup of oil into a pan and actually cooking anything in it. (shiver, but do as you will) My milk allergic, Autistic son saw what I was doing and asked if I would make some without cheese. I hadn’t originally intended to, but when I saw that even HE had his Flambo on, I went for it! I couldn’t believe it!!. My Autistic son wanted to try something new!!
So, here is what I did (no-cheese recipe will follow). 
Addendum: I substitute a carton of goat cheese for the feta to accommodate my dairy allergic ganglings and cut the recipe in half.

Spanakopita
¼ cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil 
1 large onion, chopped 
2 10-oz packages frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry 
1 tsp dried dill
2 Tbl all purpose flour 
2 4-oz packages feta cheese, crumbled (I used an herbed feta cheese) 
4 eggs lightly beaten 
Salt and pepper to taste 
1 sleeve of Phyllo dough (also called Fillo, ½ of a 16-oz box) 
1 stick butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Heat oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add onions, stirring frequently until tender. Mix in Spinach, dill and flour, cooking until most of remaining moisture has been absorbed. Remove from heat. Mix in feta cheese, eggs, salt and pepper.
Separate one sheet of phyllo from the stack and evenly brush a light coating of butter. Keep the remaining stack of phyllo covered with plastic wrap and a damp cloth on top of the plastic wrap to keep it from dying out.

Place another sheet of phyllo over the butter and press the two sheets together (remember to re-cover the stack of phyllo dough). Cut the layered phyllo dough into 3 long strips about 3 inches wide* (I used a pizza cutting wheel).
Place a heaping Soup spoonful of filling 1 inch from the end closest to you.

Fold one of the bottom edges over the filling to form a triangle.**


Fold the triangle up, bringing the point at the bottom right up to rest along the left edge.

Turn the lower left corner over to touch the right edge. Continue turning the triangle over in this manner until your each the end of the phyllo.



Repeat with the remaining “philling” and phyllo.
Place filled triangles on a large baking sheet. I didn’t bother to brush with butter and they were fine. Bake until golden brown, 45 minutes to 1 hour.
*Flamboyant Gourmets who prefer a larger Spanakopita triangle, just fold the phyllo sheet over once lengthwise, and add more filling!!
** I am a visual learner and used the Spanakopita folding foto from my Pink Better Homes and Gardens cook book (you know, the checkered one). I did not use that recipe, tho. Let me tell you, the filling nearly slid off once during the folding stage, but I kept my Flambo on. It was not as hard as I thought it would be.

Spanakopita without Feta
2 Tbl extra virgin olive oil 
1 medium sized onion, chopped (I use red onion for flavor)
1 10-oz package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry 
1/2 cup chopped broccoli, cooked
1/2 cup shredded carrot 
1 tsp dried dill 
1 Tbl flour  
2 eggs, lightly beaten 
Salt and pepper to taste 
1 sleeve of phyllo dough 
3 Tbl melted butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
In a large frying pan, heat oil over medium heat. Add onions, stirring frequently, until softened. Mix in Spinach, carrot, dill and flour, cooking until most of remaining moisture has been absorbed. Remove from heat. Mix in eggs, salt and pepper.
Separate one sheet of phyllo from the stack and evenly brush light a light coating of butter. Keep the remaining phyllo covered with a sheet of plastic wrap and a damp cloth on top of the plastic to keep the phyllo from drying out.
(see above fotos)
Place another sheet of phyllo over the butter and press the two sheets together. (remember to re-cover the phyllo)
Cut the layered phyllo dough into long strips about 3 inches wide.
Place a heaping Soup spoonful of filling 1 inch from the end closest to you.
(see above fotos)
Fold one bottom corner over the filling to the left edge to form a triangle.
(see above fotos)

Fold the triangle up, bringing the point at the bottom left up to rest along the left edge. Turn the lower left corner over to touch the right edge.
( see above fotos)

Continue turning the triangle over in this manner until your each the end of the phyllo.
(see above fotos)
Repeat with the remaining “philling” and phyllo.
Place filled triangles on a large baking sheet. I didn’t bother to brush with butter and they were fine. Bakeay 350 degrees until golden brown, 45 minutes to 1 hour.