Greek Spinach & Feta Pie (Spanakopita)
Ingredients
For the Spinach and Feta Filling
Three 10 oz frozen chopped spinach packages, thawed and well-drained
1 cup flat-leaf parsley, stems trimmed, finely chopped
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 eggs
7 oz quality feta cheese, crumbled
2 teaspoons dried dill weed
Freshly-ground black pepper
For the Pastry
1 16 oz package Fillo Dough {pasty sheets}, thawed
1 cup extra virgin olive oil, more if needed
Directions
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
Before you begin mixing the filling, be sure the spinach is very well drained, and squeeze out any excess liquid by hand.
To make the filling: In a mixing bowl, add the spinach and the remaining filling ingredients. Stir until all is well combined.
Unroll the phyllo (fillo) sheets and place them between two very lightly damp kitchen cloths.
Prepare a 9½” X 13″ baking dish by brushing the bottom and sides of the dish with olive oil.
To assemble the spanakopita: Line the baking dish with two sheets of phyllo (filo) letting them cover the sides of the dish as well as the bottom of the dish.
Brush with olive oil. Add two more sheets in the same manner, and brush them with olive oil. Repeat until half of the phyllo (fillo) is used.
Next, evenly spread the spinach and feta filling over the phyllo (fillo).
Top with two more sheets, and brush with olive oil. Continue to layer the phyllo (fillo) sheets, two at a time, brushing with olive oil, until you have used up all the sheets.
Brush the very top layer with olive oil.
Fold the sifted down on the top layer.
Brush well with olive oil.
Bake in the 325 degrees F heated oven for 1 hour, or until the phyllo (fillo) crust is crisp and golden brown.
Remove from the oven. Let rest while you cook the lamb. Cut into squares to serve.
Rack of Lamb
Ingredients
For the lamb marinade:
5 garlic cloves, grated
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive
1 cup chopped fresh herbs (such as parsley, thyme, chives, oregano, and rosemary
Juice and zest of one lemon
For the rack of lamb:
1 lamb rack, about 1 ½ lbs
Kosher salt and ground black pepper
½ cup Italian-flavored Panko crumbs
Tzatziki Sauce, recipe below
Directions
Combine the marinade ingredients in a large ziplock plastic bag.
Season the lamb all over with kosher salt and pepper.
Place the rack of lamb in the bag with the marinade. Seal the bag and move the lamb around in the bag to coat the lamb evenly. Let the lamb marinate for 20 to 30 minutes at room temperature (or overnight in the refrigerator if you have the time.
If you refrigerated the lamb, bring it to room temperature.
Heat the oven to 450 degrees F and place an oven rack on the top ⅓ of the oven.
Arrange the lamb rack (bone side pointing up) in a foil-lined baking pan. Place the pan on the oven rack for 15 minutes.
Carefully remove it from the oven and turn the rack of lamb to the other side. Sprinkle with panko crumbs.
Return to the oven and cook for another 5 to 10 minutes depending on how you like your rack of lamb (rack of lamb is typically served rare or medium-rare, but you can also serve it medium).
To avoid overcooking the lamb, use an instant-read thermometer to determine if the lamb is done to your liking. For rare, the internal temperature should reach 125 degrees F and for medium-rare, it should read around 135 degrees F. Check and take it out of the oven 5 degrees before it reaches the temperature you are looking for. As the lamb rack rests, the temperature will rise.
Remove from the oven and tent with foil. Allow the lamb about 10 minutes to rest (the temperature will rise and the lamb will continue to cook some more).
Cut the lamb chops in between the bones and arrange them on a platter and serve with the Tzatziki Sauce.
Tzatziki Sauce
Ingredients
1 medium cucumber, peeled and sliced
1 teaspoon kosher salt divided
2 garlic cloves, peeled, finely grated
1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 cups plain Greek yogurt
¼ teaspoon ground pepper
1 teaspoon dried dill
½ cup crumbled feta cheese
Directions
Use a box grater to manually grate the cucumber.
Toss the grated cucumbers with ½ teaspoon kosher salt. Let drain in a colander for 10 minutes. Squeeze the salted cucumbers to extract any liquid.
In a mixing bowl, place the garlic with the remaining ½ teaspoon salt, vinegar, and extra virgin olive oil. Mix to combine.
Add the grated cucumber to the bowl with the garlic mixture. Stir in the yogurt, and the remaining ingredients.
Cover and refrigerate for several hours for the flavors to develop.
Tomato Salad
Ingredients
2 cups grape tomatoes
¼ of a red onion sliced
¼ teaspoon Greek seasoning
2 tablespoons vinaigrette
Directions
Combine the ingredients in a serving bowl. Leave at room temperature until serving time.
