Spinach Feta Pies - For the Days You Need to be Extra Strong

I remember the first day I liked spinach. I was young, but old enough that when my parents took us out to dinner that day, they let me go to the buffet by myself. Even at that point, I was aware that there was a certain way I supposed to act. So I got a salad. But I put something new on there, instead of lettuce. When I got back to the table, my mother let me eat it without saying a word, until I was mostly done eating it. Then she sprung the shocking news. I had just eaten a plate of raw spinach.

And ever since then, I've loved raw spinach. But I hate cooked spinach. I'm that way with a lot of vegetables, tomatoes, cabbage, broccoli. I hate the mushy texture of most cooked veggies. Oh, but raw spinach is SO good.

And then there's spinach pies. I've wanted them when I see them on menus. They're surrounded by my favorite things - cheese and bread. They look so crispy and flaky. But on the rare occasions that I budge, the resulting first bite is always disappointing. Mainly the problem is that huge long string of cooked spinach spiraling out of the flaky crust, as if to specifically to ruin my enjoyment.

So when David Leibovitz posted this recipe on his blog, I thought "Hey, if I made this, I could make the spinach as small as I like." It was the same revelation I had when I learned to cook with onions. "I could even freaking puree that shit." And though I didn't quite go that far, I did mince it microscopically small. I changed the original recipe quite a bit, so check out David's cause I'm sure it's way more awesome. But I'm pretty fond of these things. They pretty much rock.



Spinach Feta Pie

Ingredients:

- about 2 cups chopped spinach
- 1 cup chopped green onion
- 2 tbsp chopped parsley
- 4 oz crumbled mild feta cheese
- 4 oz crumbled goat cheese
- salt and pepper to taste
- pinch garlic
- whatever the hell else spice you think you'd like
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 stick melted butter
- one large egg
- phyllo sheets (I bought one frozen package, and used half of that, which made 5 pies. God bless you if you can find fresh made phyllo in Cleveland.)

Preheat the oven to 350.

In a small pan, saute the onions in the olive oil, with salt and pepper. Once softened, add the spinach and parsley, and cook until "wilted".

In a medium bowl, mix the greens with the cheeses, and stir in the egg.

Take out your phyllo. Make sure to follow the instructions on the box, that tell you to take out one sheet at a time, and cover the remaining sheets with plastic wrap and then a damp towel.

Brush the sheet with the melted butter. If you prefer, use olive oil. Add another sheet and repeat. I made these with a 2 sheet average.

Take a good tablespoon of the filling, and place it in the center of the sheets. Then fold as you see fit, brushing with butter or oil at the places you fold over. I tried to make triangles, but was an abysmal failure. So we got squares and one large oval looking one.

Brush the tops with butter (this time use butter) and back for about 30 minutes. In my oven, this really meant 40 minutes. You want them to be golden and crispy.

Then eat one and be happy that there are way to enjoy spinach without picking it out of your teeth. These are great for dinner. I suspect they will also be pretty spectacular for lunch. And already we're discussing variations - such as the mushroom extravaganza, and the lamb power pocket.