Having lived in so many countries and travelled to a considerable number more I often find myself reminiscing about an adventure, or missing a person I once met many moons ago. It’s in these moments that I find myself making the food that I enjoyed the most with those people. This is Greek Spanakopita it reminds me of a small town on the island of Crete where I met some truly wonderful people. 

Ingredients:

  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 small onion, diced
  • 2 lbs spinach
  • 1/3 bunch dill, chopped
  • 8 oz feta, crumbled
  • 2 eggs, lightly beaten
  • salt and pepper

For the dough:

  • 1 package phyllo dough, thawed
  • 1 cup olive oil
  • 1 tbsp sesame seeds, optional

Instructions:

  • Preheat oven to 180 degrees C. Lightly grease a 12-inch round baking pan with olive oil and set aside. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Cook onion 4-5 minutes or until soft. Add spinach and cook until wilted (you may need to add the spinach in batches). Once the spinach has cooked down, remove from heat and allow to cool.
  • Once the spinach/onion has cooled, squeeze out as much water as you can. Place in a large mixing bowl and add the dill, feta, and beaten eggs. Stir gently to combine.
  • To assemble the pie lay one sheet of dough (keep the longer side in front of you) on your work surface and lightly brush with olive oil. Lay another sheet on top of the first sheet and brush with oil. Add enough filling to cover the width of the sheet and start by rolling the sheet away from you, lightly pressing, so that the filling is packed. Then, roll it into a spiral and place it in the centre of your prepared baking pan. Continue, using 2 sheets at a time, brushed with olive oil, until you have used up all of the filling. Roll each one around the previous one, to make the spiral larger.
  • Once you have used up all of the filling, brush the top with olive oil and sprinkle with sesame seeds (if using). Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until light golden brown.

Enjoy warm or room temperature!