Grandma Liblik’s Spanakopita Recipe

Image supplied by: Supplied by Kiera Liblik

Throughout the school year, it’s hard not to miss home-cooking. While we often have the luxury in the summertime of having dinner at home, we need to start preparing ourselves for when we are back in school without mom or dad to whip up our favorite meals. While we all have our family favourites, I always look forward to my grandma’s spanakopita. These cheesy greek pastries are hard to turn down, and I consistently find myself eating five when I mean to stop after one. Although they tend to be quite filling, the flaky layers of pastry dough stop them from being too dense or heavy. While I 100% recommend the classic cheesy spinach filling, feel free to add or substitute whatever you’d like. Make these as an appetizer for your friends or for yourself on a cozy night-in. Either way, these pastries –  courtesy of grandma Liblik – are hard to say no to!

Ingredients:

1 lb. package of Phyllo Pastry
16 oz. fresh chopped spinach, washed and patted dry
2 tbsp. freshly grated parmesan
2 large eggs, slightly beaten
2 large cloves of garlic, minced
1 scallion (green onion), chopped
1/2 cup of chopped onion
1 cup feta
1 cup ricotta
¼ cup parsley (chopped)
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 cup butter (melted)
½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. pepper
1 tsp. dill (dried)

Instructions (Filling):

  1. Sauté onion, scallion, and garlic in olive oil on low heat for 15 minutes
  2. Add spinach and cook for 15 minutes
  3. Drain
  4. Combine mixture in a bowl with feta, parmesan, ricotta, dill, parsley and seasoning
  5. Set aside

Instructions (Spanakopita)

  1. Unfold phyllo pastry on clean counter (long side of pastry towards you)
  2. Wet towel and wring out so it’s just damp
  3. Brush first phyllo sheet with melted butter
  4. Lay second sheet over the first and brush with melted butter
  5. Lay third sheet over the second sheet and put towel over remaining unused layers of phyllo in the mean time
  6. Butter third sheet
  7. Cut layered sheets into 4 vertical strips
  8. Put a heaping tablespoon of filling onto left corner of each strip
  9. Fold up once then fold bottom right corner over filling to form triangle – fold bottom left corner diagonally across continue folding dough around filling until you have a pastry triangles
  10. Transfer triangles to baking sheets and cover with melted butter
  11. Bake at 375 degrees F for 25 minutes
  12. Enjoy!

So, whenever you are craving some Greek comfort food, just turn on the oven, pull out your phyllo pastry dough and get ready for a nice snack to remind you of home!

Tags

Campus cooking, greek food, recipe

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