I’ve spent the better part of the last 6 months trying to figure out how to turn the Greek spinach and feta pie, spanakopita, into a 5:30 Challenge recipe. From an ingredient perspective, it’s a perfect candidate, since it’s not much more than spinach, cheese, and phyllo pastry. But that pastry presents a big challenge. To prepare it properly, it needs careful layering with melted butter, a process that can eat up the better part of a 30-minute time limit.
Eventually, I decided that the best approach was to scrap the phyllo altogether. Instead, I opted to transform spanakopita into a dip, using pita crackers for the crunchy carbohydrate element. These can do triple-duty as a dip thickener, a crisp topping and a serving vessel. In addition, the crackers only need a quick crushing with a rolling pin to prepare for use.
Other shortcuts? I like to use frozen chopped spinach instead of fresh; it’ll thaw in a warm skillet in a few minutes, and then can drain while you saute sliced scallions. For the cheese, feta crumbles require no prep work, and will incorporate into the dip just fine.
The final dish is a distant cousin to traditional spanakopita, but its flavors and textures keep it in the family.
Spanakopita Dip
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