Featured at my Greek Vegan Cooking Class I learned that Spanikopita traditionally was made without feta cheese that is a modern diet addition. In place of the feta the artichoke hearts add a creamy brininess that reminds us of the feta cheese. This is a perfect appetizer for the holidays that people will not be able to eat enough of.
Ingredients:
3 lbs fresh spinach , chopped
1 1/2 cups chopped green onions
1/4 cup We Olive extra virgin olive oil + 3 tbsp
1 cup fresh dill, minced
1/2 cup fresh mint, minced
1 bulb of garlic, peeled and minced
salt and pepper to taste
1 package of thawed Phyllo Dough
1 cup of small dice artichoke hearts, drained
Directions:
In a sauté pan on low heat add 1/4 cup olive oil, sauté chopped scallions and garlic on low heat until soft, careful not to burn. Add herbs and stir to combine well and cook on very low heat for less 5 minutes just to combine flavors. Add chopped spinach and artichokes and cook for additional 5 minutes while stirring. Let spinach blend cool. When ready to bake, carefully separate and layer Phyllo sheets in baking pan and brush each sheet lightly with olive oil. An average of 8 sheets both under and on top of spinach filling Add the spinach filling and distribute evenly over the entire pan. Add top layers of Phyllo as above. Brush top of pie liberally with olive oil and score Phyllo sheets carefully cutting through all of the top layers of Phyllo. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes until a beautiful golden brown.
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