“Don’t let your filo boss you around! You be the boss of your filo!” Said my friend Jenn as she began her “free yourself from the fear of filo dough” lesson to Suzy and I.
Now, I’ve worked with filo dough many times before, fussing with the sheets and slathering melted butter between the layers of dough, adding calorie after calorie. The dough seems to tear just by looking at it. Needless to say, filo hasn’t been a staple in my kitchen. But after the liberating lesson from Jenn, I will now welcomed this previously fussy filo into my kitchen.
Jenn does a few things which make cooking with filo a breeze. First, she doesn’t treat it like a newborn baby. She handles it actually quite roughly. Second, she’s not afraid if it rips. In her words, so what? Why would anyone even notice or care? It’s very forgiving actually. And finally, she uses olive oil between sheets instead of melted butter and that makes filo a whole lot healthier. So I’m a convert and plan to experiment with other combinations of foods to add filo casseroles to my dinnertime repertoire.
For today, I’ll share this lovely spinach filo recipe which we made together before I was interrupted by a call from the nurse to tell me that my son had been hit over the head with a rock. With spinach and dill, it’s an ideal dish to enjoy during the months of Spring.
What is your experience with filo? I’d love to hear what you make or don’t make! Please leave a comment.
- 2 tbsp olive oil extra virgin
- 1/2 cup scallions chopped
- 1 onion whole, peeled and diced
- 2 tbsp fresh dill washed and chopped
- 1 cup feta cheese crumbled
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese grated
- 16 ounces frozen baby spinach defrosted, chopped and drained
- 1/8 cup fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper freshly ground
- 8 sheets filo dough defrosted
- 2 eggs mixed with a fork
- Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees. Heat olive oil in a medium sized skillet.
- Add chopped scallions and onions.
- Saute for five minutes.
- Add the spinach, cheese, salt and pepper. Mix well. Cool the mixture for a few minutes, removing it from heat.
- Add the eggs and mix well. Set aside.
- Meanwhile, spray an 8x8 baking dish with baking spray. Alternate filo sheets vertically and then horizontally covering the bottom of the dish and folding in the sides. Brush each sheet with olive oil. Spoon the spinach filling into the filo and cover with another four sheets of filo, brushing each with olive oil and folding in the sides.
- Bake on 375 until golden for approximately 20-30 minutes.
Allison I love the crunch of phyllo dough. I am wondering if you always need to add cheese to the mixture. Maybe an egg is ok and not too much fat.
I like the vegetable fillings too
Hi Lourdes! I think you can experiment and try for yourself! Lessen the cheese. This recipe already has an egg. Most other recipes use more cheese than this. Maybe add some mushrooms to give it some body. Let me know what you make
Alison recently posted…Farm Fresh Tomato Sauce
I’ve never heard of filo. Very interesting. I love eating tons of spinach so this dish agrees with me haha
Filo is a dough which is used in Mediterranean cooking. The actual way to spell it is “phyllo” and its origin stems from the Greek word “phullo” meaning leaf. It comes in extremely thin sheets like paper and used to make flaky sweet pastries and savories filled with meat and spices.