It’s funny how taste buds “age.” When I was a child, you couldn’t get me to eat corn (unless it was on the cob) or spinach (in any form) for all the Barbies and My Little Ponies in the world. I remember cutting a hole in the upholstery of my chair at the dinner table and using it to stash unwanted spinach and new potatoes. Boy, did I get in trouble for that!

These days, I voluntarily eat spinach. It’s one of my favorite greens for a salad, it’s great on sandwiches and in ravioli, and stirring a handful of rough-chopped fresh spinach leaves into Fettuccine Alfredo at the last minute is a great way to get a dose of Vitamins A and C. It also has some magical compound that is highly attracted to the enamel of my front teeth.

One of my favorite ways to eat spinach is in individual servings of Greek spinach pie, or Spanakopita, with a chilly blob of tzatziki sauce. It also makes a nice savory addition to an hors d’oeuvre buffet.

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Spanakopita

A lightened version of the Greek favorite.

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 10 oz pkg frozen chopped spinach - thawed, drained and squeezed dry
• 1 Tbsp chopped fresh dill
• 1 Tbsp all-purpose flour
• 4 oz feta cheese, crumbled
• 1/2 cup egg beaters, lightly beaten (or two eggs)
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 pkg phyllo dough
• 6 oz Smart Balance butter, melted (or use regular butter)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Heat vegetable oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Slowly cook and stir onions until softened.
3. Mix in spinach, dill and flour. Cook approximately 10 minutes, or until most of the moisture has been absorbed. Remove from heat.
4. Mix in feta cheese, eggs, salt and pepper.
5. Lay one sheet of phyllo dough flat and brush with butter, repeat with 2 more sheets.
6. Place a small amount of spinach mixture onto each piece of dough.
7. Fold phyllo into triangles around the mixture. Brush with butter.
8. Place spanakopita on a baking sheet and bake for approx 35 minutes, or until golden brown.

Notes

Yields: ~15 triangles

Adapted from All Recipes

Estimated time: 40 minutes