Spanakopita

By: Coach Maria - Salus Nutritionist & Food Expert



I love Greek food; it sits in the top 3 on my favorite-cuisine list (did you visit the Greek Festival last weekend??).  Besides the use of fresh vegetables, their recipes do not require an over-powering of spices.  What I love most about it, however, is the culture that is attached to their delicious grub.  Much like Spain, eating and drinking is a social affair; a way of life.  When you gather for a meal - whether with family or friends - your conversations can linger all afternoon and into the evening hours!

Spanakopita (Greek spinach pie) has been a favorite recipe of ours for many years.  Regardless of how picky one or two members of my family may be, they will never turn away from Spanakopita!

Yes, this is traditionally made with puffed phyllo dough, and I make it the traditional way from time to time, but I wanted to try a gluten-free version of this delicious food to see if I could avoid the gut-irritating effects that come with gluten.

The result was incredibly successful and entirely too delicious!  Loaded with spinach - the nutrition powerhouse - and other assorted greens, this will give you a nutrient punch in just one single serving!

Recipe serves 12

Crust:

2 cups almond flour

1 cup hazelnut flour (if you cannot find this, using more almond flour is fine)

1/2 tsp sea salt

4 tbsp olive oil

1 egg

herbs/seasonings of choice (I like using thyme and garlic powder or Mrs. Dash garlic seasoning)

 

Preheat oven to 350.

Mix all ingredients together and press into a pie pan, tart pan or 9x13 pan - they all work!

Bake for around 10-15 minutes.

 

 

Filling:

 

Preheat oven to 400

Wash and finely chop 1 bunch each of the following (food processor makes this a fast step!):

swiss chard

spinach

chicory (curly endive)

parsley

green onions

 

 

Dump in a large bowl and mix with:

1/4 cup olive oil

1 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp pepper

4 beaten eggs

1 cup feta cheese, crumbled (omit if you are dairy free)

 

 

 

Dump greens into pan with almond flour crust and sprinkle lightly with cinnamon.

Bake for 45 minutes, covering top of pan if edges of crust begin to brown ahead of time.

(optional:  after 20 minutes of baking, you can top with pitted Kalamata olives for extra flavor!)