SPANAKOPITA II

      Title: SPANAKOPITA II
  Categories: Greek
       Yield: 8 Servings
  
       2 lb Spinach, fresh
       1 lb Filo dough
     1/2 lb Feta cheese
       7    Eggs
       1    Onion, diced
  
   Dice the onion and saute it until golden brown.
   
   While the onion is cooking, wash the spinach.  Put it in a bowl and
   rub lots of salt into it. Let the spinach/salt sit for 15 minutes.
   This is meant to reduce the volume of spinach. An alternative to this
   is to barely steam the spinach (30-60 seconds).
   
   Beat the eggs.  Crumble the feta cheese and add to the eggs. Note
   that feta cheese is fairly salty. You can replace half or all of it
   with ricotta cheese.
   
   Rinse all the salt out of the spinach.  Add it and the onions to the
   eggs/cheese and mix.  Also add some spices. The original recipes
   calls for salt, pepper and oregano. I use basil.
   
   Melt some butter (at least 2 oz).  Butter the bottom of a 9x13 inch
   baking dish.  Lay the filo down one layer at a time, brushing butter
   on each layer. Turn each successive layer a little so they are not
   all piled directly on top of each other. The filo will hang over the
   sides of the dish.  Continue until you have 3-5 sheets of filo left.
   
   Pour the filling into the filo.  Fold the filo that hangs over the
   side over the filling. Place the last pieces of filo on top,
   buttering each as you go. Trim off the filo that hangs over the edge
   of the dish. These last pieces serve to cover the filling.
   
   Make two or three slits with a knife in the top layers of filo that
   go all the way down to the filling. Bake at 375 degrees F. for 50
   minutes.
   
   NOTES:
   
   *  Greek spinach and cheese pie -- This recipe is from the Vegetarian
   Epicure by Anna Thomas. It takes lots of time to make, but is well
   worth it.
   
   *  You can vary the filling to suit your tastes. We've thought of
   adding mushrooms.
   
   *  My husband complains about how thick and hard to cut the bottom of
   the spanakopita is.  His suggestions (none of which I've tried)
   include using more butter and alternating layers of filo and filling.
   
   : Difficulty:  moderate.
   : Time:  45 minutes preparation, 1 hour cooking.
   : Precision:  no need to measure.
   
   : Aviva Garrett
   : Excelan, Inc., San Jose, CA
   : ucbvax!mtxinu!excelan!aviva
   
   : Copyright (C) 1986 USENET Community Trust
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