Spanakopita/Spanokopita-Lower Fat, Lower Calories

I put together this recipe last night - it turned out so good I want to share it here!! We can't tell that it has a lot less calories & fat than the standard Spanokopita recipe. (btw, I added it to the database as Spanokopita - the both English spellings are used).


Spanokopita

Whole Package Filo Dough (1 lb)
Spinach (baby - raw) - about 3lbs
Basil, fresh, chopped - (optional)5 or 6 sprigs, used all but the largest stems
Onion, chopped - 1 large
Feta Cheese - 1 lb (actually, I used a smidgen more)
Nonfat Cottage cheese - 1 lb
Parmesan cheese - about 1/3 cup
Butter - 3 Tablespoons
Olive oil - 3 Tablespoons
Flour - 1/8 Cup
Chia Seeds, ground - 2 T. (or two eggs, but adjust the calorie content if you use eggs instead)
Dill, dried - 4 Tablespoons


I used the technique (well, partially, since I had put together half before I remembered this) used by Joumana in her blog, http://www.tasteofbeirut.com - this is a link to the video she posted. Note it is for baklava (mmm - baklava...) - but spanokopita is basically the same, but with a different filling:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-7I7-9Amsqk

Also, instead of using a turkey baster for the butter - I usually use spray oil, either olive or vegetable oil (the one I just bought was damaged, so it threw oil on in the same way as in her video!).

Spray a pan with oil - mine is 10" X 15", but the size of your pan can be flexible. Use two pans if you must, and tear the pieces of filo to fit.

Filling:

Mix two tablespoons of ground chia seeds (I cleaned my coffee grinder before & after, making the mixture very finely ground) with 6 tablespoons of water, and let it sit while you are preparing the rest of the recipe. This will form a gel-like substance that is terrific as an egg substitute - and it has other health benefits as well.

Sautee the onion in a little oil for a few minutes. Add spinach (I estimated the amount - it was lots more than most recipes call for) and cook until wilted. Drain thoroughly, or add about 1/8 cup flour so it wouldn't get wet as it cooked.

Add a handful of fresh, chopped basil if you have it, then add a generous 5 tablespoons of dried dill.

Mix in the crumbled feta and the nonfat cottage cheese, both about a pound each. Add this along with the chia seed gel.

Mix this very well, then spread this on the bottom layer of filo dough.
Scrunch up the top layer of filo, as in the video. I melted about 3 Tablespoons of butter and poured that on top, along with a little sprinkling of olive oil, but to further reduce the calorie and fat content, just use spray oil.

Cut into 20 pieces before you bake (or else you'll end up with one giant piece you can't cut very easily!)

Bake at 375 degrees for about a half hour, until it's nice and golden - delish!

Calories: 210
Carbs: 19
Fat: 12
Protein: 14
Sodium: 578
Potassium: 457

I can't emphasize how good this tastes... amazing that I can keep to one piece at a time, but I am. The fat free cottage cheese is a great addition, too, as it makes it so it's not too rich.

Edit: Just want to add that the bottom still ended up soft, but it still tastes great. I attribute it to the fact I have no strainer (it broke - about the same time my food scale broke!). I added the flour to compensate - if you have a strainer (as most people do, hahaha, except me!) you can really get most the liquid out by pushing with a large metal or wooden spoon - and eliminate the flour.