Easy Fennel and Spinach Spanakopita

 

I had just the right leftovers to make spanakopita.  Although I thought that it might be a difficult recipe having never made if before, mainly due to the rolling technique, I was wrong.  It is really easy.  If you like spanakopita, try this recipe!  And Fennel is coming into season right now in the pacific northwest.  It is peeking up out of my herb garden right now, teasing me...

Easy Fennel and Spinach Spanakopita

1 package of frozen spinach, unthawed and diced

1 large onion

1/4-1/2 pound feta cheese.  I used sheep feta, my favorite from Trader Joe's

1 egg, mix it well

hand full of fresh fennel, diced

1 stick of butter, melted for brushing on to the filo dough

1 package of fillo dough pastry.  You will only need about half of the package.  FYI: I found that there are at least 3 spellings for fillo: filo, fillo, and phyllo.  No worries, they are all the same product!

Start by caramelizing an onion.  Cut it into thin strips and fry, stirring, in a pan with olive oil until soft and brown, add diced and thawed out (previously frozen spinach), the full package.  Continue to cook for a couple more minutes.  Set aside.  When the mixture is cool, add the feta cheese, crumbling it into small pieces.  Stir in mixed egg and fresh diced fennel.  You will use this mixture for the inside of the spanakopita. 

Preheat oven to 350 F Bake.  Oil a cookie sheet to place the spanakopita on.  Melt a stick of butter and have a pastry brush on hand.

 

You can find the fillo pastry in the frozen section of many large grocery stores.  Unthaw the fillo dough ahead of time.  Once you have made the spinach mixture as described above, it will be time to cut the fillo dough.  Roll it out flat.  Cut a 3 inch by 11 inch strip.  Use pastry brush to spread a thin layer of butter over the strip.  The butter will help the folding process.  Place a spoonful of spinach mixture about 1 inch from the top of the strip.  Now you will fold the fillo into a triangle pastry.  Fold the end over the spinach to form a triangle.  The continue to fold it into triangles, much like you would fold a flag, all the way to the end.  Brush a little butter on the top of the pastry before putting in oven.  See diagram below:

picture courtesy of http://lldzines.com/spanakopita/folded.htm

  

Above: spinach, fennel, feta, egg, onion mixture

  

Above, melted butter for painting on the fillo

  

Spinach mixture on the fillo dough, pre-wrapping.  

Below: wrapping the fillo

  

  

Bon Appetite!