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Spanakopita with feta cheese

“SPANAKOPITA!”

I love this moment from the movie My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2, where Yiayia, sitting under a table at her great granddaughter’s high school’s college fair event, emerges from the tablecloth to cry, “Spanakopita!”  😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀

Greek spinach pie, spanakopita with feta cheese, is also called “Spanakotiropita.” I made this version for Easter dinner yesterday. It was a big hit with my family.
Spanakopita with feta cheese

Here’s the recipe for my spanakopita with feta cheese, adapted from my Mothers’ Hellenic Cuisine 1956 cookbook by Saints Constantine and Helen Ladies Society.

Spanakopita
 
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Spanakopita - Spinach Pie with butter recipe adapted from the Hellenic Cuisine cookbook by Sts. Constantine and Helen Ladies Society, Detroit MI 1956
Author:
Recipe type: savory pie
Cuisine: Greek
Serves: 16 pieces
Ingredients
  • 2 lbs. of frozen spinach
  • 2 small bunches of green onions
  • 1 lb. crumbled Greek feta cheese
  • 7 eggs, beaten
  • 1 lb. of butter
  • 1 box of frozen phyllo / filo pastry sheets (2 rolls per box, approximately 20 sheets per roll)
  • ½ tsp. salt
  • ½ tsp. pepper
  • ½ tsp. garlic powder
  • ½ tsp. dried oregano
  • ½ tsp. dried basil
Instructions
  1. Day before baking - Allow spinach to thaw and drain over night in a colander (use a bowl underneath the colander to catch the moisture)
  2. Allow frozen phyllo to thaw in refrigerator overnight
  3. Next day - Preheat oven to 350° F
  4. Combine spinach, crumbled feta, green onions, beaten eggs and spices, and mix into a large bowl
  5. Melt butter and set aside
  6. Grease 9 x 13" pan
  7. Place 10 - 12 pastry sheets into pan brushing each with melted butter
  8. Spread spinach mixture on top of buttered pastry sheets
  9. Cover spinach mixture with 10 - 12 pastry sheets, each also brushed with melted butter
  10. Score the top of the pie to the size of desired pieces
  11. Bake at 350° F for one hour or until golden brown
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And look who won the egg cracking contest this year. Good luck for me!

Spanakopita with feta cheese, The Egg Cracking Champion

Happy Easter! Kalo Pascha! Christos Anesti!

More of my Greek Easter blog posts and recipes here:

 

Greek Lagana Bread

Greek Lagana is a flat, sometimes oval, or rectangular shaped bread that is very traditional and it is the custom in Greece to baked it today. Today is Kathari Deftera or Clean Monday, and marks the beginning of Orthodox Lent.

But… ¯\_(”)_/¯ it’s delicious, so go ahead and bake it whenever. It’s perfect for appetizer recipes calling for crustini.

Here’s my “step-by-step” of how I made Lagana today from an adapted recipe by Greek Chef Diane Kochilas. A printable version is at the bottom of this post.

Greek Lagana Bread

First, it’s a good idea to read through the recipe, and then gather and measure all the ingredients.

Greek Lagana Bread

In a medium bowl, dissolve the yeast, sugar, and 1/4 cup of the flour in warm water. Let it stand covered for 15 minutes or until the mixture starts to foam and bubble.

Greek Lagana Bread

In another larger bowl, combine 7 cups flour with the salt. Make a well in the center with your hand and pour in the oil and the yeast mixture. Mix well with a wooden spoon until all the ingredients are combined. You might want to also use your hands.

Turn the dough out on to a counter or table dusted with flour and knead for about 10 minutes or until the dough feels smooth to the touch but not sticky.

Greek Lagana Bread

Shape the dough into a ball, brush it with oil and allow it to rise in a covered bowl for about 2 hours or until doubled in size.

Punch the dough down and knead it for another 6 or 7 minutes. Divide the dough into 2 equal parts. Using a rolling pin, or your hands, shape the dough out on to two lightly oiled, or parchment lined, baking sheets into flat ovals about 15 inches long and about 6 inches wide.

Greek Lagana Bread

Brush with oil, sprinkle with sesame seeds, and allow it to rise again until your finger poked in the bread leaves an indentation without springing back.

Preheat your oven to 450 degrees during the final rise.

Using your index finger, poke holes across the surface of the bread (about every 2 inches). Bake for 15 – 20 minutes.

Remove and place on a rack to cool.

Greek Lagana Bread

Oh, how I love the smell of just baked bread.

5.0 from 1 reviews
Greek Lagana Bread
 
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Clean Monday marks the beginning of Orthodox Lent. Greek Lagana is a flat, oval shaped bread that is a very traditional and to be baked only on this day. This recipe is adapted from "The Food and Wine of Greece" by Diane Kochillas
Author:
Recipe type: Baking bread
Cuisine: Greek
Serves: 2 loaves
Ingredients
  • 3 envelopes active dry yeast
  • ¼ cup sugar
  • 7 to 8 cups bread flour
  • 2¼ cups warm water
  • 1 tbsp. salt
  • 5 tbsp. vegetable oil
  • Sesame seeds for sprinkling
Instructions
  1. In a medium work bowl, dissolve the yeast, sugar, and ¼ cup of the flour in the warm water.
  2. Let stand covered for 15 minutes or until the mixture starts to foam and bubble.
  3. In a large work bowl, combine 7 cups flour with the salt.
  4. Make a well in the center with your hand and pour in the oil and the yeast mixture.
  5. Mix well with a wooden spoon until all the ingredients are combined.
  6. Turn dough out on to a counter or table dusted with flour and knead for about 10 minutes or until the dough feels smooth to the touch but not sticky.
  7. Shape the dough into a ball, brush it with oil and allow it to rise in a covered bowl for about 2 hours or until doubled in size.
  8. Punch the dough down and knead it for another 6 or 7 minutes. Shape it into 2 equal loaves. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough out on to two lightly oiled baking sheets into flat ovals about 15 inches long and about 6 inches wide.
  9. Brush with oil, sprinkle with sesame seeds, and allow to proof (rise) again until a finger poked in the bread leaves an indentation without springing back. Preheat oven to 450 degrees during the final rise.
  10. Using your index finger, poke holes across the surface of the bread (about every 2 inches). Bake for 15 – 20 minutes
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Want to read my other posts about Lenten foods? Here are a few:

 

 

Gooey Fudgy Dark Chocolate Brownies

This gooey fudgy dark chocolate brownies recipe is sooooooo good. I am obsessed with these brownies. First thing to do is check my printable recipe at the bottom of this post. Gather and measure all your ingredients.

Start by positioning a rack in the lower third of your oven and preheat to 325° F. Next, cut an 8 by 16-inch piece of parchment paper.

Gooey Fudgy Dark Chocolate Brownies

Lightly butter an 8 by 8 by 2-inch pan and line it with the parchment, allowing it to extend evenly over the opposite sides. Butter the parchment including the paper on the sides of the pan.

Gooey Fudgy Dark Chocolate Brownies

Place the chocolate and butter in a large heatproof bowl set over a pot of gently simmering water and stir occasionally until melted and smooth.

Gooey Fudgy Dark Chocolate Brownies

Remove from the heat. With a large rubber spatula or wooden spoon, beat the sugar and salt into the chocolate mixture. Beat in the eggs one at a time.

Gooey Fudgy Dark Chocolate Brownies

Add the flour and mix vigorously until the batter is very glossy and pulls away from the sides of the bowl.

Gooey Fudgy Dark Chocolate Brownies

Fold the walnuts into the batter. (I also added some dried cherries.)

Gooey Fudgy Dark Chocolate Brownies

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and tap the pan bottom on your counter top to level the batter.

Gooey Fudgy Dark Chocolate Brownies

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a skewer in the center comes out moist but clean.

Fudgy Dark Chocolate Brownies
 
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I adapted this from Robert Steinberg's recipe for fudgy dark chocolate brownies.
Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Cuisine: International
Serves: 8 or 9 brownies
Ingredients
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into cubes, plus more for the pan
  • 8 ounces dark chocolate chips or chunks
  • ¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 2 large eggs
  • ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
  • ½ cup toasted walnut halves
Instructions
  1. Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
  2. Cut an 8 by 16-inch piece of parchment paper.
  3. Lightly butter an 8 by 8 by 2-inch pan and line it with the parchment, allowing it to extend evenly over the opposite sides.
  4. Butter the parchment including the paper on the sides of the pan.
  5. Place the chocolate and butter in a large heatproof bowl set over a pot of gently simmering water and stir occasionally until melted and smooth.
  6. Remove from the heat.
  7. With a large rubber spatula or wooden spoon, beat the sugar and salt into the chocolate mixture.
  8. Beat in the eggs one at a time.
  9. Add the flour and mix vigorously until the batter is very glossy and pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
  10. Fold the walnuts into the batter.
  11. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and tap the pan bottom on the countertop to level the batter.
  12. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a skewer in the center comes out moist but clean.
  13. Let cool in the pan on a cooling rack for 10 minutes.
  14. Remove the brownies from the pan using the parchment “handles,” and cool completely on the rack before cutting into squares.
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YUM!
Make some for your Valentine.
Here are a couple of cocktails for your boo too. 
happy-valentine-smiley-emoticon

Gooey Fudgy Dark Chocolate Brownies

Happy New Year 2018 Lobster Dinner

Happy New Year 2018! Every New Year’s Eve we indulge in a lobster dinner. We avoid the cold. We avoid the traffic. We stay safe and warm and toast to the new year and eat lobster. Life is Beautiful! Heart Lanergan Drive I zoi einai oraia! Heart Lanergan DriveNYE Lobster Dinner 2

Yianni is the chef for this particular feast.  Lobster Killer, Qu’est-ce que c’est? (Sorry for the Talking Heads / Julie & Julia mash-up reference. I couldn’t resist.)

Boiling lobster is fairly easy. If you Google it you’ll get 22,500,000 results. Here’s a fun site called “How to Cook the Perfect Lobster.” It’s got an infographic too!

 

NYE Lobster Dinner 3

This year we had two special guests, (not the lobsters, there were 4 of them) our son Rahbi and his girlfriend Jaden. Aren’t they adorable?NYE Lobster Dinner 6

It was Jaden’s first time eating lobster and she definitely enjoyed it.NYE Lobster Dinner

In the past, when we have had quite a few more guests, I’ve made Lobster Fettuccine Alfredo. You can get my recipe here.  And there’s a version on that page that’s printable, so you can file it away and refer to it later. NYE Lobster Dinner 4

It’s a great way to serve lobster to more people, because lobster can be a bit costly. It’s delicious and quite frankly, easier to eat. IMHONYE Lobster Dinner 5

I know, you’re probably thinking, “Hey, wipe the plate before you take the photo!” Doesn’t it look really good though? Kalí órexi!

Merry Christmas treeHappy New Year! Xrónia pollá! Merry Christmas tree