Spanakopita (Spinach Triangles)

By pattie_d

Ingredients

• 8 sheets frozen phyllo pastry
• 10-12 ounce bunch fresh baby spinach leaves, rinsed
• 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 2/3 cup chopped flat leaf parsley leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
• 3 ounces (heaping 3/4 cup) crumbled reduced fat feta cheese
• 1 egg white
• pinch ground nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• Olive oil spray
• 1 tablespoon light butter (from stick, not tub)
• Thaw the phyllo pastry following package instructions.

Details

Servings 32
Adapted from health.discovery.com

Preparation

Step 1

Trim the stems from the spinach leaves. Rinse it in a large strainer. Then as it is still dripping with water, transfer it to a large pot or pan over medium heat. Place a lid (one smaller than the one that fits the pot) sitting directly on top of the spinach leaves until they are completely wilted, stirring occasionally, about 2-4 minutes. Return the spinach to the strainer and run cold water over it to cool it. Drain it, then transfer the spinach to a clean, lint-free dish towel and squeeze it until all of the water is removed.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Next, chop the spinach and transfer it to a medium bowl. Add garlic, parsley, thyme, feta, egg white, nutmeg and salt. Mix it well. There should be no water "leaking" from the mixture. If there is, place it in a fine strainer or sieve until as much moisture as possible is removed.

Next, prepare the phyllo sheets by laying them flat on a clean counter next to a large cutting area. Keep the unused sheets covered with a sheet of waxed paper then top that with slightly damp towel. Very lightly mist the cutting surface with spray. Place one sheet of phyllo dough on the cutting surface. Then lightly mist the sheet with the spray, being sure to mist all of the way to the edges. Place a second sheet directly on top of the first. Again, spray the sheet very lightly with spray. Then cut the sheet with a knife or pizza cutter (for ease) into 8 even strips across the wider side. Then place approximately one heaping teaspoon of the spinach mixture in the lower right hand corner of the first strip. Flatten the spinach mixture into a triangle from the corner. Fold the corner diagonally to the left to form a triangle over the filling so the shorter edge of the strip meets the longer edge. Then fold the triangle straight up. Then again, diagonally. Continue folding the strip over and over, alternately at right angles, then diagonally, until the end of the strip is reached. Seal the end by spraying it with spray. Place the triangle on a large non-stick baking sheet.

Continue the process creating stuffed triangles with each of the remaining 7 strips, placing each side by side so they don't touch on the sheet. Then repeat the procedure with the remaining sheets until all of the filling is used.

Add the butter to a small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave it for 10-30 seconds until just melted. Then, using a pastry or basting brush, brush both sides of each triangle very lightly with the butter and place it back on the sheet. Bake the triangles for 7 minutes, then flip them and bake them an additional 3-5 minutes until they are a light golden brown. Serve them warm.

Makes approximately 32 pastries. Each (4-pastry serving) has: 104 calories, 5 g protein, 13 g carbohydrates, 4 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, 6 mg cholesterol, 1 g fiber, 352 mg sodium

Traditional Spanakopita (4 pieces) has: 282 calories, 7 g protein, 16 g carbohydrates, 21 g fat, 11 g saturated fat, 79 mg cholesterol, 1 g fiber, 499 mg sodium

Devin Says: It is extremely important that the spinach is exceptionally well drained and no water can be squeezed from it. Once the spinach is squeezed well, if it were formed into a ball it would be smaller than a baseball. This is essential to ensure that the finished pastries are not soggy.

These are great appetizers to have on hand in case you get unexpected visitors. If you freeze them before baking, they keep well in an airtight plastic container stored in the freezer for up to three months. When guests arrive, pop them directly from the freezer into the oven until they are golden brown, about 8 minutes on the first side and 5-10 on the second, and you're sure to impress!