To ensure a tasty start to the new year, I cooked a simple but fulfilling brunch for Tawn and myself, a feta and spinach pie made with phyllo dough. The recipe was based on one in Jamie Oliver’s “30 Minute Meals” series, which is available on iTunes.
The filling is eggs, feta cheese, cheddar cheese, and sauteed spinach seasoned with a little nutmeg, dried oregano, and salt and pepper. I modified the recipe slightly, substituting provolone for the cheddar and also sauteeing an onion to give the filling more flavor. The exterior is formed of sheets of phyllo dough, splashed with extra virgin olive oil and a dusting of sweet paprika. The dough is folded over the top to create a sealed pie and then baked in a skillet in the oven for 20 minutes.
The result is a flaky crust and an oozy, rich interior – a combination of flavors and textures that is very appealing. When paired with a mixed greens salad (in our case with some steamed beets and persimmon), it is a very pleasant meal and a tasty start to 2012!
christao408 
Looks real good ! What will you be washing it down with ?
Thank you for opening my 2012 w/ food porn… that looks gooood.
I had that at a friend’s home –it is delicious!!!
@The_Eyes_Of_A_Painter – It was 10:30 in the morning, so a latte was appropriate. (Insert punchline: “But I had a mimosa anyways.” Unfortunately, that’s not true. LOL)@Passionflwr86 – I thought carefully about what should be my first entry of the new year, since that sets the tone for the months ahead. Food porn seemed about right.@Fatcat723 – And there are lots of ways you can jazz the fillings up.
That looks good for a delicious and full meal! 😛
Excellent choice, indeed. Thank you for sharing!
Mmm… yummy, that’s a nice treat. All the best to you and Tawn in 2012!
MMMM Good! I’m going to send my sister (http://slccole.xanga.com/) your way – she has just started blogging again. Her blog is now all about food. She has her rating system and has posted her first food porn entry – Chicken lentil burgers…
looks delicious! but phyllo is pretty annoying to work with… i was so happy to finally use up my last box hahaha. i was making cod wrapped in phyllo and then baked — it’s delicious!
@kunhuo42 – Yeah, it really is a pain, isn’t it? One of those ingredients that produces nice results but mid-way through the recipe you ask yourself if it is worth the hassle!@murisopsis – Chicken lentil burgers. Thanks for pointing me towards your sister’s blog. I’m going to end up following the whole darn family! Ha ha…@ElusiveWords – To you as well, Matt. If you sneeze often, that’s because we’re thinking about you.@nov_way – You are most welcome.@CurryPuffy – It was a nice meal but not as rich as I might have expected, maybe because I added the sauteed onions. Forgot the lemon zest, though, which would have cut the richness a bit more.
That looks very good Chris. I make some dishes with phyllo leaves. Children love them. It is a dessert ( not baklava ) and very indian.
hi, i gotta know your blog from Dan’s, nice to meet you~
Oh my dearlord. That’s like an omelette in pastry. I have to try that next time! Do you make the dough yourself or is that purchased?
@AzureRecollections – Oh, no, it is purchased. I once saw an episode of “No Reservations” where Tony Bourdain went to a shop in Istanbul that makes phyllo dough from scratch. Talk about a pain in the neck!@JessicaMilk – My pleasure. Thanks for visiting.@ZSA_MD – Phyllo lends itself well to desserts, doesn’t it? I was also thinking that I could fill it with some cooked potatoes and Indian spices and make something like a large samosa but baked instead of deep fried. Heck, I could probably put any of a dozen of your recipes inside this dish and they’d turn out great.
oh man you’re all about spectacular food – I love the presentation – for me its always about burning the can food and eating all the way on my beloved couch watching some bad t.v. show… thanks for giving my brain some juice to run lol and happy new year to you!!
That looks amazing – wow. Well done, Chris :)Happy 2012 to you and Tawn 🙂
nom!
YUMMY!! if only i could get my hands on that. it’s been a while since the last time i had spinakopita.
@alwateen – Ha ha ha… eating while watching bad TV isn’t the worst thing in the world!@rudyhou – Pretty easy to make… you should try.@stepaside_loser – Thanks. HNY to you, too.