*  Exported from  MasterCook  *
 
                      SPANOKOPITA (GREEK SPINACH PIE)
 
 Recipe By     : 
 Serving Size  : 1    Preparation Time :0:00
 Categories    : Greece                           Archived
 
   Amount  Measure       Ingredient -- Preparation Method
 --------  ------------  --------------------------------
    2       pk           Frozen spinach (10 oz)
                         Salt, preferably sea salt
    1                    Onion, chopped
    1       lb           Fresh mushrooms, sliced
                         Olive oil
                         Butter
    1                    Clove garlic, minced
                         Ground pepper to taste
    6                    Eggs
    1       c            Feta cheese
    1       c            Parmesan cheese, grated
      1/4   c            Chopped fresh parsley
    1       t            Oregano
      1/4   ts           Dried rosemary (optional)
      1/4   lb           Butter
    1       lb           Filo dough
 
   If you are using fresh spinach, wash the spinach and
   remove the tough stems.  Place in a large bowl and
   sprinkle heavily with salt. Rub the salt into the
   leaves by taking them up, a bunch at a time, and
   rubbing them between your hands; the volume of the
   spinach will decrease before your eyes.  Tear the
   spinach up as you do this. Rinse the salt off
   thoroughly and dry the spinach, squeezing it in
   bunches in a towel. (If you are using frozen spinach,
   just let it thaw and squeeze out excess moisture).
   
   Saute the onion and mushrooms in a little olive oil
   and butter with the garlic and salt and pepper to
   taste.  When both the onions and mushrooms are tender,
   remove from the heat.
   
   Beat the eggs in a large bowl and crumble in the feta
   cheese; add the Parmesan, then the spinach, onions,
   and mushrooms. Stir in the parsley, oregano, rosemary,
   some freshly ground pepper, and a little salt
   (remember that the feta is very salty).
   
   Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
   
   Melt the butter and brush a 2-quart or 3-quart oblong
   baking pan with it. Spread your filo dough out flat
   next to the pan. Take a sheet and lay it in the pan,
   letting the edges come out over the pan. Take another
   sheet and lay it on top of the first, not directly but
   in such a way that its edges extend over different
   parts of the pan. Brush with butter. Continue to layer
   the sheets of filo, brushing every other one with
   butter and turning each one slightly so that the edges
   fan out over the sides of the pan, until you have
   about eight sheets left.
   
   Now spread the spinach mixture evenly over the filo
   dough in the pan, pushing it into the corners.  Take
   the edges of the filo and fold them in over the
   spinach mixture.
   
   Take the remaining sheets of filo and layer them one
   by one over the spinach mixture, again brushing every
   other sheet with butter, but this time pushing the
   edges down into the sides of the pan. It is difficult
   to do this neatly; just rumple the edges down into the
   sides of the pan (they will form a nice crisp edge
   after baking). Brush the top of the spanokopita with
   butter and make +-inch-deep diagonal slashes across it
   with a sharp knife.
   
   Bake for 50 minutes, until the crust is puffed up and
   golden; it will shrink from the sides of the pan.  Cut
   into squares or diamond shapes and serve immediately.
  
 
 
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