all greek to me

I've noticed that about 90% of my posts over the last few months have been categorized under "munching."

This is not surprising, because a) I have a new kitchen that's great to cook in, b) I haven't had any really fun, out-of-the-ordinary happenings to do otherwise, and c) I did declare 2012 the Year of Hospitality.

But seriously, I need to show some evidence of areas of growth, other than that of my waistline.  I promise a post soon about something more meaningful.  Maybe.

In the meantime, another recipe!

Yesterday I was crazy for some spinach.  There are worse things to crave, but I really wanted some kind of spinach pie, or spanakopita ... something like this:

Spinach, cheese, onions, in a pastry shell?  Yes, please.

Naturally I couldn't find any one recipe that didn't totally stress me out, so this is a variation of many recipes combined.  It was de-lish!

Spinach Pie

2 boxes frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1 small onion, or half of a large onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
1/3 c. chopped scallions
4 oz. grated cheese, any combination (I used Swiss and mozzarella)
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1-2 Tbsp. mayonnaise
1 package frozen puff pastry, thawed
EVOO
Salt and pepper, to taste

1. Sauté onion over medium high heat for about 5-7 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper.  Add garlic clove, and sauté another minute.
 
2. In a large bowl, mix drained spinach (really get after the draining ... use a dish towel and squeeze the mess out of it), onions and garlic, scallions, cheese, eggs, and mayo.  You just want the spinach mixture to have a little bit of stick to it, but not greasy or clumpy.
 
3. Grease an 8 x 8 square baking dish.  Roll out one sheet of puff pastry, just larger than the square dish, and place in the bottom.  (It will come up a little on the sides when it bakes.)  Pour the spinach mixture into the dish and top with the other sheet of puff pastry.  (I just used about 2/3 of the second pastry sheet, and cut it into 6 squares to top the spinach.)  * I think you can get creative on this pastry part.  I'd consider using it only on the top, to cut down on some of the carbs and cals.  Or, you could do a lattice topping, like an old-fashioned apple pie!  You really can't go wrong with puff pastry, so be fun and put your own mark on it.
 
4. Spray the top with cooking spray, or brush with an egg wash, and bake at 375 degrees, for 35-40 minutes.  Let sit 20 minutes before serving.

I ate this for dinner with a little cucumber-tomato-olive-feta salad, and enjoyed every delectable Mediterranean bite.