One of my favorite meals is Spanikopita — spinach pie. Years ago, the grandmother of one of my friends made it regularly and since I was often at their house at dinner time, I got to enjoy this delectable dish with my friend and her family.
The pie had the most delicious flaky crust; it melted in your mouth. I make it myself now but I have recreated it a bit, using the same healthy spinach and fixings but I have substituted some ingredients with less fat and calories. My version skimps on the fat, but not on the taste.
I swear there is an art to making a perfect pie crust — one that I have not mastered, nor do I believe I will ever achieve crust perfection, so I have given in.
Now, when I make my spinach “pie,” I use phyllo dough. Phyllo pastry dough sheets have no trans fat, no saturated fat and no cholesterol. Low-calorie phyllo dough is the perfect substitute for those pie crusts I have given up on.
The recipe I am giving you today, will serve four people. I usually add fruit to round out this meal, like sliced peaches, pears or watermelon. It is a simple, nutritious meal, but I hope you enjoy it.
Ingredients
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 medium shallot, finely chopped
20 ounces (2 packages) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1 1/8th cup part skim-milk ricotta
1 large egg plus the whites of 2 large eggs
1/4 cup crumbled feta
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Kosher salt and pepper
4 sheets frozen phyllo dough, thawed
Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a 10-inch nonstick, add one tablespoon of olive oil. Save two tablespoons of the oil in a small bowl. Add shallot to the skillet and cook, stirring, until softened, 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool slightly. Stir in spinach, ricotta, eggs, feta, nutmeg, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
Lay one sheet of phyllo on a work surface and lightly brush with the olive oil. Lay over spinach mixture, folding edges under to fit inside skillet. (Keep extra phyllo covered while you work.) One at a time, brush remaining three sheets and add to skillet, rotating and scrunching each sheet slightly so edges are offset and top is ruffled. Bake until golden brown and heated through, about 30 minutes.
NOTE: Place thawed spinach on a clean kitchen towel. Wrap it well and squeeze the liquid from it by twisting the towel. You want as much of the liquid out as possible.
(Candy Work is a certified physician assistant and registered dietician. She has practiced at Olean Medical Group since 2015.)
June 28, 2020 at 01:30AM
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