Southwest Spanakopita Bites Recipes

SPANAKOPITA BITES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. In a large bowl, mix egg, spinach and cheeses. Brush a 15x10x1-in. baking pan with some of the butter., Place 1 sheet of phyllo dough in prepared pan; brush with butter. Layer with 7 additional phyllo sheets, brushing each layer. (Keep remaining phyllo covered with a damp towel to prevent it from drying out.) Spread top with spinach mixture. Top with remaining phyllo dough, brushing each sheet with butter., Freeze, covered, 30 minutes. Using a sharp knife, cut into 1-in. squares. Bake 35-45 minutes or until golden brown. Refrigerate leftovers.

SPANAKOPITA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Place spinach in a steamer over 1 inch of boiling water, and cover. Cook until tender, about 2 to 6 minutes. Drain and press to remove all water. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Saute onion until tender, but do not brown. Stir in cooked spinach and continue cooking until all moisture has evaporated. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature.
• In a large bowl combine feta cheese, Swiss cheese, Parmesan cheese, eggs, parsley and cinnamon. Stir in spinach and onion mixture.
• Brush the bottom of a 17x11 inch jelly roll pan with butter. Place 1 sheet of dough in the bottom of the pan; brush with butter. Continue to layer 13 more sheets of dough, brushing every other sheet with butter. Spread spinach and cheese mixture over dough. Continue layering with remaining dough, brushing every other sheet with butter. Tuck edges of dough under. Brush top sheet with butter and, using a sharp knife, score top layer into diamonds.
• Bake in preheated oven for 40 minutes, or until golden brown.

SOUTHWEST SPANAKOPITA BITES

Steps:

• In a small skillet, saute red pepper and onion in oil until tender. Transfer to a large bowl; stir in 1/2 cup spinach (save the rest for another use). Stir in the cheese, corn, beans, jalapeno, cumin, chili powder and salt., Place 1 sheet of phyllo dough on a work surface with a short end facing you. (Keep remaining phyllo covered with a damp towel to prevent it from drying out.) Spray sheet with butter-flavored spray; cut into three 14x3-in. strips. , Place a scant tablespoon of filling on lower corner of each strip. Fold dough over filling, forming a triangle. Fold triangle up, then over, forming another triangle. Continue folding, like a flag, until you come to the end of the strip. , Spritz end of dough with spray and press onto triangle to seal. Turn triangle and spritz top with spray. Repeat with remaining phyllo and filling. , Place triangles on baking sheets coated with cooking spray. Bake at 375° until golden brown, 10-12 minutes. Meanwhile, mash avocado with the mayonnaise, sour cream and vinegar. Serve with warm appetizers.

SOFIA'S SPANAKOPITA

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Heat the extra-virgin olive oil in large pot over medium heat. Saute the garlic, leeks and shallots until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the spinach and scallions and cover the pot for a few minutes until spinach has wilted significantly. Uncover and simmer on medium-low heat to allow the liquids to evaporate (be sure not to let spinach mixture to burn). When the majority of the liquids have evaporated, transfer to a large bowl. Mix the feta, ricotta, kefalotiri, dill, mint, pepper, nutmeg and eggs in a large bowl. Gently fold the cheese mixture into the cooled spinach mixture.
• Brush a 15-by-10-inch rectangular pan with olive oil. Gently place one sheet of number-10 phyllo in the bottom of the pan and brush with olive oil, making sure to coat well. Repeat this step eight times. This creates a nice strong base for serving.
• Pour in the spinach filling. Use the entire box of number-7 phyllo on top of the spinach, making sure to coat each layer of dough very well with olive oil. Also make sure to tuck in edges of the phyllo around the pan to make it look pretty. Score the pie in appropriate portion sizes. Brush the top with the beaten eggs; this gives it the beautiful golden brown color that is achieved after approximately 1 hour of baking.

SPANAKOPITA (SPINACH TRIANGLES OR PIE)

Steps:

• Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large saute pan, add half of the spinach and saute until spinach wilts, tossing with tongs, about 2 minutes. Remove spinach and squeeze out excess liquid, then chop roughly. Repeat with remaining spinach, using 1 more tablespoon of olive oil. Pour off any liquid from the pan, and add remaining olive oil. Add scallions and saute until soft, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the spinach to the scallions, along with the parsley, salt and pepper. Cook over low heat for 1 to 2 minutes, then remove from heat to cool. (This part can be done ahead and kept refrigerated).
• Stir the feta and as much beaten egg to moisten the cooled spinach mixture.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Brush a baking sheet with some of the melted butter.
• Unroll the filo dough on a flat surface and keep it covered with waxed paper and a damp towel so it doesn't dry out and become brittle. Using a sharp knife, cut the filo into 3 by 11 inch strips, and recover with the towel. Use a pastry brush to brush a strip of filo with melted butter. Place a small spoonful of spinach filling 1 inch from the end of the pastry. Fold the end over the filling to form a triangle, then continue to fold up the strip in triangles, like folding up a flag. Continue with remaining strips of dough, placing filled triangles on the baking sheet and keeping them covered with a towel until all are ready to bake.
• Brush the triangles lightly with butter, then bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden and crisp. Serve hot. (These may be frozen before baking, layering waxed paper between layers of triangles to keep them from sticking. Bake frozen triangles an extra 10 minutes.)

SOUTHWEST SPANAKOPITA BITES

Steps:

• 1. In a small skillet, saute red pepper and onion in oil until tender. Transfer to a small bowl; stir in 1/2 cup spinach (save the rest for another use). Stir in the cheese, corn, beans, jalapeno, cumin, chili powder and salt. 2. Place one sheet of phyllo dough on a work surface with a short end facing you. (Keep remaining phyllo covered with plastic wrap to prevent it from drying out.) Spray sheet with butter-flavored spray; cut into three 14-in.x3-in. strips. 3. Place a scant tablespoon of filling on lower corner of each strip. Fold dough over filling, forming a triangle. Fold triangle up, then over, forming another triangle. Continue folding, like a flag, until you come to the end of the strip. 4. Spritz end of dough with spray and press onto triangle to seal. Turn triangle and spritz top with spray. Repeat with remaining phyllo and filling. 5. Place triangles on baking sheets coated with cooking spray. Bake at 375 degrees F for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown. Mash avocado with the mayonnaise, sour cream and vinegar. Serve with warm appetizers.