Spanakopita (Greek Spinach Pie)

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~ Ingredients: ~ 1 1/2 kilo of fresh spinach ~ 1/2 a cup of dill finely chopped ~ 1/2 a cup of parsley finely chopped ~ 1/2 a cup of fresh onions finely chopped ~ 1 large onion finely chopped ~ 400g of crumbled feta cheese ~ 1 cup of melted butter or olive oil ~ 1/2 a cup of evaporate milk ~ 4-5 eggs ~ 1 pack of filo pastry ~ salt and pepper to taste

 

~ Clean the spinach and discard all the hard outer parts, leaving the leaves and the soft stems. ~ Wash it well under plenty of running cold water and a little bit at a time cut it in small pieces. ~ Using your hands, squeeze the cut spinach to get as mush water out of them. ~ Pour half of the melted butter or olive oil in a large frying pan sauté the chopped onion. ~ When that is nice and translucent, add the chopped fresh onions to be sautéed a little bit as well. ~ Add the spinach a little at a time, stirring and mixing with the sautéed onions. ~ Add the dill, parsley, salt and pepper to taste and mix with the rest of the ingredients. ~ Cover the pan, lower the heat and simmer until there is no more water the spinach will release. ~ Remove from the heat transfer the spinach in a bowl and pour over them the milk to cool them down a bit. ~ In another bowl, crack the eggs, beat lightly with a fork and add the crumbled Feta cheese and mix with the beaten eggs. ~ When spinach is half cold pour over them the eggs, feta mixture and mix. ~ In a medium buttered baking pan place 8 filo sheets buttering each one. ~ Place in the spinach mixture making sure is distributed evenly everywhere. ~ Fold inwards over the spinach whatever filo is overhanging oiling each one. ~ Place the rest of the filo sheets over the top buttering each one. ~ Cut the excess filo and butter the top Filo. ~ With a sharp pointy knife cut the top Filo to what ever shape you want (square, triangle, etc). ~ Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for about 30-45 minutes or until the top is golden brown. ~ Remove from the oven, let it cool down for about 30 minutes and serve. ~ Greek Spanakopita (Greek Spinach Pie) is well known to people who love the Greek Cuisine. ~ It can be eaten at any time and with any meal. ~ Greek Spanakopita (Greek Spinach Pie) can also be done without sautéing the spinach. ~ The only deference is that is going to take about an hour to cook on lower temperature. ~ Home made filo pastry can also be used, making two sheets, one to use for the bottom of the baking dish and one for the top, having the filling in between. ~ For the ingredients and how to make it see Spitiko Filo (Homemade Filo Pastry). ~ Good luck and bon appétit.