Mini-Spanakopitas (Greek Spinach Pies)

"I like to make individual bundles and serve them as appetizers or as an accompaniment to a fish or meat dish for dinner. They taste best with fresh spinach. You can prepare the filling well ahead of time and keep it in the fridge." CL Reader.

Yield: 20 appetizers (serving size: 1 triangle)

Ingredients

• Filling:
• 1  (10-ounce) package fresh spinach, coarsely chopped
• 1/3  cup  (about 1 1/2 ounces) feta cheese, crumbled
• 1/4  cup  1% low-fat cottage cheese
• 2  tablespoons  grated Parmesan cheese
• 2  teaspoons  olive oil
• 1 1/2  cups  chopped green onions
• 1 1/2  tablespoons  chopped fresh or 1 1/2 teaspoons dried dill
• 1  tablespoon  fresh lemon juice
• 1/4  teaspoon  salt
• 1/4  teaspoon  black pepper
• 2  large egg whites, lightly beaten
• 
  Remaining ingredients:
• 1  tablespoon  olive oil
• 1/4  teaspoon  salt
• 1  large egg white
• 5  sheets frozen phyllo dough, thawed

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°.

To prepare filling, place spinach in a large skillet or Dutch oven. Place over medium heat; cook until spinach wilts. Place the spinach mixture in a colander, pressing until barely moist. Combine the spinach and cheeses in a bowl; set aside.

Heat 2 teaspoons olive oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the green onions; sauté for 2 minutes or until soft. Stir the green onions and the next 5 ingredients (green onions through 2 egg whites) into spinach mixture.

Combine 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1 egg white in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Working with 1 phyllo sheet at a time, cut each sheet lengthwise into 4 (3 1/2-inch-wide) strips; lightly brush phyllo sheet with egg mixture (cover the remaining phyllo dough to keep it from drying). Spoon about 1 tablespoon spinach mixture onto one end of each strip. Fold one corner of the opposite end over mixture, forming a triangle; keep folding back and forth into a triangle to the end of strip.

Place triangles, seam sides down, on a baking sheet. Bake at 350° for 20 minutes or until golden.

Nutritional Information

Calories:

43 (44% from fat)

Fat:

2.1g (sat 0.6g,mono 1.1g,poly 0.3g)

Protein:

2.3g

Carbohydrate:

4g

Fiber:

0.8g

Cholesterol:

2mg

Iron:

0.8mg

Sodium:

147mg

Calcium:

44mg