This Sunday marks the end of winter. Well, not officially by way of the calendar and moon, but our governing officials have deemed it the end of winter whites with the setting forward of clocks across the land thanks to Daylight Savings Time. In every state except Arizona, that is. What’s up with Arizona’s special treatment anyway?
Springing forward means much to many: spring bulbs bursting from crusty patches of dirt as kids bound about searching for Easter eggs; a sense of anxiety knowing that swimsuit wearing is just around the corner; and afternoons of lazily cat napping in a lounge chair as the sun warms your 4-months-previously-frozen-apendages.
However, Daylight Savings means something entirely different if you’re a food blogger. It means there will be light. Light! LIGHT I TELL YOU! Light to photograph dishes a bit later than normal, to make our days that much more productive. Or at least to compensate for the procrastination that nap in the lounge chair took out of the schedule. Eeeh. Who cares about schedules when you have spring fever?
This little greek inspired appetizer of Spinach and Feta Pies is a great welcome to spring. Light but savory, these phyllo wrapped tastees are great as an appetizer, or pair a few with a side dish of Laurie’s Lemon Orzo Pasta and you have a simple meatless meal. Can you say Monday with me? One of the things I like best about these beauties is they’re equally as tasty warm from the oven or cooled at room temperature so they’re perfect for entertaining too.
Spanakopita
Ingredients
- 1 8-ounce sleeve frozen phyllo dough, thawed at room temperature
- 2 tablespoons plus ½ cup butter , divided
- 1 shallot , chopped
- 1 pound fresh spinach leaves
- zest of one lemon
- 2 eggs , beaten
- ½ cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1 ½ cups feta cheese , crumbled
- 1 cup pine nuts , toasted
Instructions
- In a non-stick fry pan, melt 2 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. Add the shallot and cook for 1-2 minutes. Add the spinach in 3 batches tossing and cooking each batch until it wilts before adding the next batch. Season with kosher salt and cook for about 8 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a colander and gently squeeze excess water from the leaves. Place in a large bowl and set aside.
- Mix the spinach mixture with the lemon zest, eggs, panko bread crumbs, feta, and pine nuts. Stir to combine.
- In the microwave or in a small pan, melt the remaining ½ cup of butter. Lay a sheet of phyllo dough flat on the counter and brush lightly with butter. Repeat the process 2 more times, brushing the next layer with melted butter but leaving the top layer plain. Cut the stacked phyllo sheets into 3-inch wide long strips. Place a scoop of filling in the bottom corner of the dough strip and fold from corner to corner, diagonally, like a flag. Fold again over the flat end, then on the diagonal again. Continue folding to the top of sheet. Brush the edge of triangle with butter to seal. Place each triangle on a baking sheet and cover lightly with a dish towel. Continue folding hand pies in same manner until the filling is gone.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Brush the tops of the triangles with butter. Bake for 30 minutes or until golden. Serve immediately or at room temperature.
Nutrition
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If you are Greek and want to make some Green Cuisine for St Patty’s – this is your recipe!
Everything looks so so tempting and relishing !!
Fish Store
I love spinach and feta anything.
My mom and I discovered these little spanakopita bites at Sam’s a few years ago that we LOVE, but I’ve been too intimidated to try them myself These little pies don’t seem so overwhelming and look amazing!
I got blue at my manicure today and am loving it :)
Cannot wait for the light!!! Especially in my dark house. I swear we have the worst lighting. Bah humbug
I look forward to Friday Faves every week!!
Love the light – miss the light! Most of the time I use my 50mm/1.4 lens for my shots and the 60mm to get really close. I like to get close to my food ;) Have a great weekend.
I’d like a gallon of that chocolate peanut butter, please. NOW.
Love the spinach and feta hand pies!
I’m so excited for more daylight!!!!! I love your Friday faves!!!! I’m so making the lasagna!! I’m also excited to check out some new blogs.
Hi Amanda, thanks so much for the high fives for the FFaves. I’m so ready for that lasagna too :)
As always, love the Friday Faves! The hand pies look amazing, the lasagna looks phenomenal (I have wonton wrappers in the fridge right now!), and I just love Vijay and all he is doing with Nosh.On.It. And I love Averie too!
Thanks so much Rachel! Hopefully we can do a meetup next time I’m out your way =)
These spinach and feta hand pies are just gorgeous!
you can totally pull off the blue polish! and love that your daughter took that cute bag for her lunch bag! smart girl! :)
Yes… there will be light! That made me laugh and it’s SO true and I’m so over the moon excited about it. Except for the loss of sleep that night. Oy…
Great choices but that lasagna looks dahmazing!!
LIGHT, yessss! Seriously.
And um, everything looks incredible. I want that feta pie, rawt ner.
These Friday Faves have quickly become one of my favorite posts of the week! And yes, the light!! I can’t wait for more light!
HI Natasha, that is so sweet of you to say. I’m glad readers enjoy them. I love sharing my little discoveries. :)
Heidi, your Friday Faves are one of my favourite things to eat breakfast with on Friday mornings! I’m salivating over Averie’s nut butter – her photos are always SO gorgeous! And that Essie nail polish – I am totally running out to buy that after work today if I can find it because it’s beautiful! And yes, you can pull it off. I’m so pumped that spring is (hopefully) near. I think every food blogger is dying to enjoy longer days of shooting with real light!
HI Angela, lets see how many pics we can get of our new blue fingernails in each shot!
Crazy how fast time flies!! These hand pie look unreal. Awesome idea!
Wow so much here! First, thanks for the linkup and I’m so glad you like my PB recipe! I wish I could give you some. Trust me, I have about 20 jars of homemade peanut butter on hand from various experiments :)
The spinach recipe – just so happens I have a ton of phyllo dough of all things. I need to use it. Perfect idea!
Your lens. I have a nifty fifty and I also have a 50 mm 1.2 There is just no, no, no comparison. Even the 50 1.4 just isn’t really even in the league. I love my 50 mm 1.2
I *almost* got the nice 85mm but in the end, didn’t – and am glad. I bought the cheaper 85mm but I don’t use it often b/c you have to stand so far back from the food and I like to get right up in it’s business :) I also use my 24-70mm when I want to get really close. The only 2 lenses I use for food are the 50mm 1.2 and the 24-70 and love them both. But I am clearly not telling you anything you don’t know – but just chiming in with what I have and my thoughts on it. It’s a very expensive little experiment what you’d about to do…keep me posted what you choose!
That is all great info Averie, thanks so much for sharing! It looks like I should invest in the 50mm, I’m sure it will change my life. Thx for always being such a thoughtful commenter :)