Awesome Spinach Spanikopita – ethnic – Hope you will like this one also, it is one of the best ethnic. View the video also if available, and feel free to comments, share.
Vegeterian Tips: Most restaurants nowadays have vegetarian options available right on the menu. If not, ask your server if there is something that can be made for you. If you are at a more upscale restaurant, the chef will most likely be willing to whip up something for you, as it shows their talents and feeds their ego.
Ingredients (use vegan versions):
- 1 package frozen spinach, chopped & strained
- 1/2 cup cilantro leaves
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/2 cup nuts (whatever you like best, pistachios work great)
- 10 full size sheets of filo dough
- 12 oz firm regular tofu, crumbled
- 2 large potatoes, cooked and mashed (add a little vegan soymilk to soften)
- salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
A 5″ x 11″ Pyrex pan – or something close to it in size – OILED
Begin by mashing the cilantro and nuts together with 2
tablespoons of the olive oil until you have a lovely
aromatic bright green paste, resembling pesto. This can be
simplified by a food processor, or if you add a little
extra oil, a blender will do.
Next, combine the tofu with the spinach, then add the above
pesto-like paste to your mixture. Stir and set aside.
Lightly brush oil onto your filo dough sheets, one by one.
Use six of your oiled sheets, folding each sheet in half,
and line the oiled pan.
Using a tablespoon, evenly and gently plop globs of your
spinach/tofu combination onto the filo in the pan. Gently
smooth out, trying not to press too hard on the filo.
Likewise, gently and evenly plop globs of mashed potato on
top of the spinach. (You can be very fancy, and use fanned
out thinly sliced potatoes instead, but I prefer the
mashed – comforting and creamy) Salt and pepper to taste.
Repeat the oiling and folding procedure with the remaining
filo until you have used up all the sheets. If the sheets
hang over the edges of the pan, you can gently cut the
edges off with scissors.
Bake at 350 degrees covered for about 25 minutes. Then
continue baking until the top layers of filo turn a golden
brown – about another 15 minutes.
Cut into six pieces and serve. Your friends – even the non-
vegan ones will be delighted. It is well balanced in
protein, carbs etc – and I could eat this FOREVER!
Serves: 6
Preparation time: 1/2 hou
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