Crunchy Salty Sweet

Happy new year!

Over the past two weeks, I’ve been in New York and Maine for Christmas, and celebrated the new year in Boston with my sisters, brother-in-law, and niece and nephew. I hope you all had wonderful holidays as well!

Now, down to business 😀

Last year, I told you guys that my ‘resolution‘ was to eat more nutrient-dense foods. I’m not sure that was a success…but I’m back again in 2016 to commit myself to more vegetables! What are you guys doing differently this year?

Spinach is one of those foods that I tend to overdo quite often. I’ll eat sautéed spinach and raw spinach and put spinach in my smoothies…and then turn into Popeye and realize that I hate spinach and vow to never eat it again. Then a month later, the cycle repeats itself.

I’m was in the phase where spinach was just meh, up until I made this recipe that is. Put enough butter on something and I could eat a piece of tree bark!

Yes, this recipe has a bit of butter, but I’m not apologizing… Enjoy!

In a medium sauce pan, add 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil and half the spinach. Sauté over medium heat until wilted, about 2-3 minutes.

Remove the spinach from the pan. Add the 1/2 tablespoon of oil to the pan and the remainder of the spinach. Wilt.

Using a cheese cloth (or a fine mesh sieve if you don’t have cheese cloth, which was my case), thoroughly drain the liquid from the spinach.

Remove any liquid from the sauce pan. Then add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Sauté the scallions over medium heat for 2-3 minutes until softened.

Add the spinach back into the pan, along with the parsley, and salt and pepper to taste. I used a small pinch of salt, and a larger pinch of pepper.

Cook together over low heat for 2-3 minutes.

Remove from the heat and let cool for 15-30 minutes. If you want to assemble the pie later, you can stop here and refrigerate the spinach mixture until you’re ready to continue.

Preheat the oven to 350.

Stir the feta and egg into the spinach mixture.

Brush butter into a 9×9 pan.

Place the first sheet of filo into the pan (it’s ok if it’s not a perfect square, it may go up the sides of the pan).

Brush the filo with melted butter.

Repeat until you’ve brushed 6 sheets of filo with butter. It’s important to brush each layer, or the filo will not stick together when baking.

Now spread the spinach mixture onto the filo.

Top the spinach with 6 more sheets of filo, brushing with butter on top of each sheet.

Sprinkle sea salt on top of the pie, and score the filo 4 or 5 times with a knife to prevent rising.

Bake the spinach pie for about 40-45 minutes, or until the top is golden brown.

Let cool for 15 minutes, then cut into squares and enjoy.

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Adapted from: Food Network

Makes: 9 large square pieces

Prep: 10 minutes, Cook: 60 minutes, Total: 70 minutes

• 16 oz spinach, washed
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons parsley, chopped
• 4 scallions, chopped
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 egg
• 4 oz feta cheese, crumbled
• 7 tablespoons butter, melted
• 12 sheets filo pastry (about 8 oz, or half a package), cut into 9×9 squares

In a medium sauce pan, add 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil and half the spinach. Sauté over medium heat until wilted, about 2-3 minutes.

Remove the spinach from the pan. Add the 1/2 tablespoon of oil to the pan and the remainder of the spinach. Wilt.

Using a cheese cloth (or a fine mesh sieve if you don’t have cheese cloth), thoroughly drain the liquid from the spinach.

Remove any liquid from the sauce pan. Then add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Sauté the scallions over medium heat for 2-3 minutes until softened.

Add the spinach back into the pan, along with the parsley, and salt and pepper to taste. I used a small pinch of salt, and a larger pinch of pepper.

Cook together over low heat for 2-3 minutes.

Remove from the heat and let cool for 15-30 minutes. If you want to assemble the pie later, you can stop here and refrigerate the spinach mixture until you’re ready to continue.

Preheat the oven to 350.

Stir the feta and egg into the spinach mixture.

Brush butter in a 9×9 pan.

Place the first sheet of filo into the pan (it’s ok if it’s not a perfect square, it may go up the sides of the pan).

Brush the filo with melted butter.

Repeat until you’ve brushed 6 sheets of filo with butter. It’s important to brush each layer, or the filo will not stick together when baking.

Now spread the spinach mixture onto the filo.

Top the spinach with 6 more sheets of filo, brushing with butter on top of each sheet.

Sprinkle sea salt on top of the pie, and score the filo 4 or 5 times with a knife to prevent rising.

Bake the spinach pie for about 40-45 minutes, or until the top is golden brown.

Let cool for 15 minutes, then cut into squares and enjoy.