SPANAKOPITTES
(Spinach cheese pies)

Ingredients:

3 lbs. fresh spinach (or 3 10 oz. packages frozen chopped spinach)
1 tablespoon salt
1/3 cup olive oil
1 bunch green onions, chopped
1/2 cup parsley, chopped
1/2 teaspoon dried dill
1 pound feta cheese, crumbled
3 eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 pound frozen filo pastry dough (thawed overnight in refrigerator)
melted butter

Preparation:

1. Clean and chop fresh spinach (or thaw frozen spinach). Sprinkle with tablespoon of salt and set aside for an hour.

2. Squeeze almost all of the moisture out of the spinach. Put spinach in a large bowl with chopped onions, parsley, dill, cheese, beaten eggs, and pepper. Mix well.

3. Carefully open the filo dough and unfold it. Lay it lengthwise (left to right) in front of you on a flat surface. Cut down the middle (cut the width, not the length). Lay the two piles on top of each other, and keep covered with a towel when not in use.

4. Take one sheet of filo, fold it in half. Brush with melted butter. Put about two tablespoons of spinach mixture on one end of the filo and roll it up to look a little like an egg roll. Repeat with remaining filo and spinach until you run out. Place the rolls on a buttered baking sheet about two inches apart. Brush the tops with melted butter.

5. Bake in preheated 350 degree oven until golden brown, about 30-40 minutes.

Chef says:

This will make about two dozen hand held spinach cheese pies (spanakopittes). You can also make one huge spinach cheese pie (spanakopitta) by layering a pie pan with 8 sheets of buttered filo, add spinach mixture, then top with another 8 or so sheets of buttered filo. It will take about one hour to bake a whole pie.