Spicy Greens and Sweet Cheese in a Greek Savory Pie (p. 185)

Or, as you know it, Spanakopita. A coworker of mine brought some for our holiday potluck last week and it made me excited to try my own hand at it. I've always loved the flaky filo crust and the spinach and feta filling, so I figured this recipe couldn't go wrong.

First, steam the spinach (as well as other greens, if you like) in their own water. Mine took about 15 minutes for the spinach to get super tender, and then I put it in a colander and squeezed all the excess water out.

Next, sauté minced onions and scallions until soft and add them to the bowl of spinach.

Add in minced dill and parsley, eggs, feta, ricotta, parmigiano reggiano, and dry bread crumbs, stirring thoroughly between each ingredient.

The assembly of the individual pies was the hardest part. I read the directions twice, but still managed to assemble them incorrectly for my first batch. They were a little funny looking.

The second time around I got it pretty much right -- lightly oil the sheet of filo, fold it in half lengthwise, and then add a blob of the mixture into one corner and fold it up like a flag. Paint each triangle down with a little more olive oil.

Tada!

Bake for 20 minutes, until lightly brown, and then enjoy!

These were perfect. I'll make them again, for you.

spinach -- $2.50

scallions -- $.88

onion -- $1.21 (only used half)

frozen filo dough package -- $3.69 (only used half)

ricotta -- $2.59

dill -- $1.99

Total Cost of Spicy Greens and Sweet Cheese in a Greek Savory Pie: $12.86

($.86 per serving with 1 per serving)