Healthy appetizer
Spanakopita
Those tasty little big, fat Greek phyllo pastries.
Preparation Time:
15 Minutes
Ingredients:
| 2 tbsp | Gay Lea Unsalted Butter | 25 ml |
| 1 | small onion, finely chopped | 1 |
| 2 | cloves garlic, minced | 2 |
| 1 | Nordica Cottage Cheese (creamed) | 250 ml |
| 3/4 cup | chopped, squeezed and drained cooked spinach (10oz/284g pkg) | 175 ml |
| 1/2 cup | freshly grated Parmesan or Romano cheese | 125 ml |
| 1 tsp | finely grated lemon rind | 5 ml |
| pinch | each salt and pepper | pinch |
| 10 sheets | phyllo pastry | 10 sheets |
| 1/2 cup | Gay Lea Unsalted Butter, melted | 125 ml |
Instructions:
In small skillet, heat butter over medium heat; cook onion and garlic, stirring for 3 minutes or until softened. Cool slightly.In bowl, stir together cottage cheese, onion mixture, spinach, Parmesan cheese, lemon rind, salt and pepper.
Keeping phyllo covered with plastic wrap, place 1 phyllo on work surface. Brush lightly with melted butter. Cut phyllo lengthwise into 5 equal strips, each about 2-1/2" (6 cm) wide. Spoon 1 tsp (5 mL) of filling 1/2" (1 cm) from bottom of each strip. One strip at a time, fold corner of phyllo over filling to form a triangle. Continue to fold up triangle, sideways and upward.
Form triangles with remaining strips. Place on baking sheet. Brush each triangle with melted butter. Repeat with remaining phyllo sheets and filling. (Phyllo triangles can be frozen on baking sheets at this point. Once frozen, transfer to airtight freezer containers and freeze for up to 2 months. Do not thaw before baking).
Bake in centre of preheated 375ºF (190ºC) oven for 15 to 18 minutes.
Makes 4 dozen triangles.