Spanikopita

Recipe

1/2 cup green onions, chopped
2 tbsp butter
1/2 lb butter, melted
4 pkgs of frozen spinach (10 oz. ea), thawed and squeezed dry
6 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 lb feta, crumbled
8 oz cottage cheese
2 tbsp farina
1/2 cup flat-leafed parsley, minced
1/2 cup fresh dill, chopped
salt and pepper
1 lb phyllo dough

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Saute onions in 2 tbsp butter. Combine spinach, onions, eggs, feta, cottage cheese, farina, parsley, dill and salt and pepper. Line a 9x13 baking pan with 1/2 of the phyllo dough (see notes on working with phyllo dough) layered with butter. Pour filling on top and then layer remaining phyllo with butter on top. Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Serve hot.

Notes

Phyllo dough is not difficult to work with if you have the right equipment and plan ahead. First, you must thaw the dough thoroughly or else it will be brittle or it will stick. I usually let it sit at room temperature for 4 hours or in the refrigerator for a day. Unwrap the dough and unfold carefully to it's full length. Take a damp cloth (wrung out as much as possible) and cover the dough while not in use. Remove one sheet and place on a marble board or cool, clean work surface. With a pastry brush, brush melted butter onto half of the sheet. Fold the sheet in half and brush butter on the top of the sheet. Layer the dough like this.