Greek Spinach Pies (Spanakopitakia) With Pine Nuts (Koukounares)

 These little spinach pies are delicious little 'nibbles' which you can have either as part of a buffet, a side dish or part of a light lunch. Easy to make and delicious!

Ingredients

½ kg spinach

2 cloves garlic crushed

2 tbsp pine nuts

2 tbsp butter

2 sheets filo pastry

2-3 hot red peppers chopped

1 tbsp butter melted and mixed with 1 tbsp olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

Put the spinach with ½ tsp salt in a pan (no water) at a moderate heat and stir until the liquid comes out and it becomes tender. (approx. 5 minutes)

Drain the spinach and chop finely.

In a small frying pan put the 1 tbsp butter at a moderate heat and add the pine nuts. Stir for 1-2 minutes.

Remove quickly from the heat before the pine nuts turn black, remove the pine nuts and place on kitchen paper.

In a shallow pan put the other 1 tbsp butter and heat.

Add the peppers and garlic and mix.

Add the spinach and stir.

Add salt and pepper to taste and mix for about 1 minute until the liquid is absorbed.

Add the pine nuts and remove from heat. Place in a bowl and set aside.

When the mixture has cooled, brush 1 sheet of filo pastry with butter and score it (not cut) lengthwise so that you have 4 long strips and then once across the width in the middle. You have now ‘scored’ 8 sections of pastry.

Using half of the spinach mixture, place approx. 1 tbsp on each of the 8 sections – place them at the outside edge of each section.

Fold each section into a triangle (see photo) and place in a buttered shallow oven dish.

Repeat this process with the other sheet of filo pastry and the remaining spinach mixture and add them to the others in the oven dish.

Place in a preheated oven at 180 degrees Celsius for approx. 40 minutes, until they turn golden brown.

Remove twice before the 40 minutes is up, brush with the melted butter and olive oil mixture and put back in the oven.


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Eat and Enjoy!