Surprise Post: (Healthier?) Spanakopita

I wasn't planning on posting over the weekend. But I just couldn't help myself. I'm finding that every time I cook something all I want to do is arrange it nicely on a plate, take pictures of it, and write down the recipe! I don't just write this blog for other people (hi mum and happy mother's day xoxoxoxo) to read. As I accumulate more and more posts I'm starting to love looking back on all the things I've been cooking lately!

So that's how this post came about. Saturday night I had plans to visit a friend's FABULOUS new apartment in Elizabeth Bay for a few glasses of wine before going out for the night. (I always like to start my night as classy as possible because I'm sure by the end of it I will smell like a combination of a bar mat, ash tray, and strangers' B.O. after being cramped in some trendy new bar in Surry Hills... classy right?) So in keeping with my classiness I wanted to bring over some finger food to complement our $20 chard. I didn't have much time and I definitely didn't feel like walking all the way down to the grocery store so I was at the mercy of my refrigerator and pantry. Lucky for me I'm Greek and always have frozen pastry and boxes of spinach in my freezer.

**Side note: If you are on a budget, but love throwing spinach last minute into sauces, soups, etc. stock up on frozen chopped spinach! It costs literally 99 cents and amounts to about the same weight as a $10 bag in the fresh produce section! I LOVE it and just wanted to share that tid bit. Try it once, you'll be buying frozen spinach every time you go to the grocery store now.

I had everything I needed, except not really enough feta so I was forced to improvise. I love improvising! Especially when it turns out well :) I mashed some chickpeas to a pulp and mixed it in with all the other ingredients, and it turned out great! And with that added protein and lower amount of cheese, this recipe could qualify as some what healthy... right??

Spanakopita

1 tsp         olive oil
1/2 cup     spring onion
1 pkg        fresh dill, chopped
250 g        frozen chopped spinach
100 g        feta cheese
1/4 cup     grated parmesan
200 g        chick peas, mashed
1/4 cup     pine nuts
1               lemon, zested
salt and pepper to taste
1               egg, beaten
2               sheets frozen puff pastry

First you saute the spring onion and dill in the olive oil until it is soft but not browned. That's about all the cooking you'll have to do until it goes in the oven! Take the pot off heat and add the spinach (which you need to wring dry in a colander first), the mashed chick peas, and the pine nuts. Stir together and once the mixture is coolish to the touch you can add the feta, parmesan, and lemon zest.

This is the point where you can taste for seasoning. Once it tastes good, add 3/4 of the beaten egg. Now you have your filling!

All you have to do now is divide the mixture in two and scoop it into two log shapes on the bottom edges of the two sheets of puff pastry.

Roll up the pastry, don't worry about being too tight or not tight enough. As long as you can finish the roll so that it rests on the end of the roll, it will turn out great!

Transfer the rolls to a parchment lined baking sheet, brush with the rest of the beaten egg and sprinkle with some sesame seeds for decoration. Bake in a 200 degree Celsius oven for 30-45 minutes until golden brown and puffed. I rotated the pan once while baking.

Wait 10 minutes and using a really sharp bread knife, slice each roll into 8 pieces. Now they're ready to enjoy!

Look at all those layers!

 This recipe can be doubled easily. I did rolls because I only had an hour to get everything done, but if you wanted to make mini triangles or even one big pie feel free to do so! You can also use layed phyllo sheets, puff pastry is just what I had on hand at the time.

This isn't your ordinary spanakopita. The lemon zest gives it a light freshness that isn't traditionally found here. And I think the pine nuts add a tender, almost creamy, bite. Flaky pastry, creamy and light filling, with a little punch of dill. I make this at least once a week.