Lamb Spinach Spanakopita Recipes

SPANAKOPITA (GREEK SPINACH PIE)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly oil a 9x9 inch square baking pan.
• Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Saute onion, green onions and garlic, until soft and lightly browned. Stir in spinach and parsley, and continue to saute until spinach is limp, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
• In a medium bowl, mix together eggs, ricotta, and feta. Stir in spinach mixture. Lay 1 sheet of phyllo dough in prepared baking pan, and brush lightly with olive oil. Lay another sheet of phyllo dough on top, brush with olive oil, and repeat process with two more sheets of phyllo. The sheets will overlap the pan. Spread spinach and cheese mixture into pan and fold overhanging dough over filling. Brush with oil, then layer remaining 4 sheets of phyllo dough, brushing each with oil. Tuck overhanging dough into pan to seal filling.
• Bake in preheated oven for 30 to 40 minutes, until golden brown. Cut into squares and serve while hot.

LAMB & SPINACH SPANAKOPITA

Steps:

• Heat half the oil in a casserole pot over a medium-high heat and fry the lamb for 5-7 mins, or until deep brown all over. Cover with the stock, then add the cinnamon stick and bay leaf, and bring to a simmer. Cover and cook for 11/2 hrs, or until the lamb is tender and falling apart.
• Heat the remaining oil and the butter in a frying pan, then fry the onions with a large pinch of salt for 15-20 mins, or until golden and sticky. Add the garlic and spices, and cook for 3 mins more. Remove the lamb from its stewing liquid (reserving the liquid), transfer to a chopping board and shred using two forks. Stir the shredded meat into the onion mixture, along with 50ml of the reserved liquid.
• Put the spinach in a pan with 1 tbsp water, and cook for 3-4 mins, or until wilted. Wrap in a clean tea towel and squeeze out the excess liquid, or put in a fine sieve and press it out using the back of a wooden spoon. Roughly chop the spinach, then stir into the lamb and onion mixture along with the feta, mint, pine nuts and egg. Season.
• Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6, and brush a 22cm round springform cake tin with some of the melted butter. Layer four sheets of filo pastry across the tin, then brush with more melted butter. Spoon in the filling, and fold the overhanging pastry over the top. Scrunch up the remaining pastry sheets, put on top of the pie, and brush with the remaining melted butter. Sprinkle with the sesame seeds. Bake for 45-50 mins, or until golden and crisp. Will keep in the fridge for up to up to two days.

GREEK SPINACH BAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. In a large bowl, combine the cottage cheese, spinach and feta cheese. Stir in the flour, pepper and salt. Add eggs and mix well. , Spoon into a greased 9-in. square baking dish. Bake, uncovered, until a thermometer reads 160°, about 1 hour.

SPANIKOPITA

Steps:

• Preheat an oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Lightly grease a baking sheet. Mix the spinach, feta cheese, mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese, garlic, and salt in a bowl.
• Arrange one sheet of phyllo dough on a clean work surface and brush with melted butter. Cover the remaining phyllo dough with a damp towel. Place a second sheet of phyllo on top and brush with butter, then place a third sheet on top. Cut the buttered phyllo lengthwise into four strips.
• Place about 1 tablespoon of the spinach mixture on the bottom of each strip. Take the bottom right corner and fold the dough over the filling to make a triangle. Fold the bottom left corner up to make another triangle. Continue folding until all the dough is folded. Arrange the stuffed triangles, seam-side down, on the prepared baking sheet. Lightly brush the triangle with butter. Repeat with the remaining phyllo dough and spinach filling.
• Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown, about 20 minutes. Cool slightly before serving.

SPINACH AND SORREL SPANAKOPITA

Steps:

• Make Filling:
• Cook spinach according to package instructions. Drain in a colander, then refresh under cold running water to stop the cooking, and drain well again. Transfer spinach to a clean kitchen towel (not terry cloth) twisting the ends together, and squeeze as much liquid as possible from the spinach. Transfer spinach to a large bowl.
• Cook scallions with 1/4 teaspoon salt in olive oil in a 9- to 10-inch non-stick skillet over medium heat, stirring, until softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Add sorrel and cook, stirring and adding 1 tablespoon water if sorrel is dry, until wilted, about 1 minute (sorrel will turn khaki gray almost immediately when heated). Add sorrel mixture to spinach and stir well.
• Stir in yolk, then feta, nutmeg, dill, and salt and pepper to taste and combine mixture well.
• Form and Bake Phyllo Triangles:
• Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Cover phyllo stack with 2 overlapping sheets of plastic wrap and then a dampened kitchen towel.
• Take 1 phyllo sheet from stack and arrange on a work surface with a long side nearest you (keeping remaining sheets covered) and brush all over with some butter. Cut buttered phyllo stack lengthwise into 4 strips, each about 3-inches wide and 17- inches long.
• Put a heaping teaspoon of filling near 1 corner of a strip on end nearest you, then fold corner of phyllo over to enclose filling and form a triangle. Continue folding strip (like a flag), maintaining triangle shape. Brush triangle all over with butter. Put triangle, seam side down, on parchment-lined sheet. Make more triangles in same manner, using all of phyllo.
• For best results, freeze spanakopita until firm, about 20 minutes.
• Bake triangles in middle of oven until golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool slightly.

SPINACH AND FETA SPANAKOPITA

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Thoroughly squeeze any excess water from the thawed spinach, removing as much liquid as possible. Coarsely chop.
• Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant and golden brown. Add the spinach and nutmeg, sauteing for 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and mix in the feta, lemon juice, cracked black pepper and egg to thoroughly combine. Allow the filling to cool.
• Melt the remaining butter over medium heat in a small saucepan. Cool slightly. Cover the stack of phyllo sheets with a clean damp kitchen towel.
• Working with the long side of the phyllo sheet nearest you, take 1 sheet from the stack and brush the entire surface with butter. Top with another phyllo sheet, brushing with more butter. Cut crosswise into five 2 1/2 to 3-inch strips.
• Place 2 teaspoons filling in the corner of each strip. Just like you would fold a flag, fold the corner of phyllo over to enclose the filling, forming a triangle, and continue folding the entire strip. Ending with the seam-side down, place the triangles on a large baking sheet and brush the tops with butter.
• Follow the same steps with the remaining ingredients.
• Space evenly on a sheet tray and bake until golden brown, about 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool slightly.

SPANAKOPITA

Steps:

• Heat a large fry pan over medium-high heat.
• Add the spinach with only the rinsing water clinging to the leaves, cover and cook until wilted, about 1 minute.
• Drain well on paper towels, then squeeze out as much of the remaining liquid as possible.
• Place in a large bowl and add the feta cheese, kefalotiri cheese, eggs, mint, and nutmeg.
• Stir well to combine.
• Season with salt and pepper.
• Preheat an oven to 375°F.
• Lightly butter a baking sheet.
• Cut the stack of phyllo sheets lengthwise into 3 equal strips.
• Remove 1 strip and cover the remaining phyllo with a slightly dampened kitchen towel to prevent it from drying out.
• Place the strip on a work surface and brush lightly with melted butter.
• Place another strip on top.
• Brush the second strip lightly with melted butter.
• Place a heaping teaspoonful of the filling about 1 inch in from the bottom of the strip.
• Fold the uncovered end over the filling on the diagonal to form a triangular shape.
• Bring the bottom of the triangle up against the straight edge.
• Continue folding in this manner until the tip of the strip is reached, forming a triangular pastry.
• Brush lightly with melted butter.
• Place on the prepared baking sheet.
• Repeat with the remaining phyllo and filling.
• Bake until golden, about 15 minutes.
• Remove from the oven and transfer to a platter.
• Serve immediately, warm or at room temperature.