Greek Spinach & Feta Triangles

Anyone who has travelled to Greece has tried some of our traditional pies. You can find them anywhere from bakeries for your breakfast to the menu of a greek taverna as an appetizer. They come with different fillings and shapes and made with homemade or store bought pastry. Here, I’m making some spinach & feta cheese triangles using filo (phyllo) pastry or as we call them in greek ‘spanakopitakia’. These are so versatile, you can have them for breakfast or as a snack or why not, for a light lunch with some salad. Spinach and feta triangles are also great for little children as they can easily hold them with their little hands and a great way to eat their spinach!

Why you should try my recipe

• Easy and quick, using store-bought filo pastry.
• Crispy on the outside.
• Packed with nutrients and goodness.
• Mix of different cheese that give more flavor and texture.
• Served for breakfast, lunch, light dinner or in lunchboxes.
• Great for little children and babies that follow BLW method.

Ingredients & How-to

The main ingredients for the greek spinach and cheese triangles are spinach, feta cheese, onion and fresh herbs. Along with the feta cheese, I like to add a little bit of hard goats cheese as it adds to the flavor. If you can get hold of some greek hard cheese like graviera or kefaloturi that’s even better. Otherwise, add some hard goats cheese which you can find in most supermarkets.

1. Filling Preparation

01. I start with preparing the filling by chopping all the vegetables and greens. I chop the onion into cubes, cut the leek into slices and finely cut the dill, parsley and mint. If you are using baby spinach you could leave it as it is, otherwise cut it coarsely.

02. As for the cheese, I’m using my fingers to crumble the feta cheese and grate the hard cheese. If you can’t find hard goats cheese where you live, then you could substitute it with some parmesan, romana, or cheddar.

03. I heat a bit of olive oil in a wide pan over medium heat. I then add the chopped onion and leek and stir for a couple of minutes until soft. After, I add the spinach in and let it cook for 3-4 minutes until wilted. I add everything to a bowl, with the egg and some freshly ground pepper and then mix well until everything is well incorporated.

2. Assembling the Spinach and Cheese Triangles

I’m using one package of filo (phyllo) pastry that contains around 10-12 sheets (around 250gr). You could use more depending on how much filling you want in your triangles. Remember not to take the filo pastry out of the package until your filling is ready. As this type of pastry is very thin, it will dry out quickly and that will make the folding process more difficult.

01. When you are ready to start making the triangles, take the filo pastry out of the package and using a sharp knife cut them all as they are stack together into strips horizontally with width around 10cm / 4”. Then stack all the strips on top of each other and cover with a tea towel so they don’t dry out.

02. I take two strips each time and cover the rest with the towel. I brush the first one with a little bit of olive oil, then put the other one on top and brush it also with some olive oil. That will make the filo pastry very crispy after baking.

03. I add one tablespoon of the spinach & feta filling in one of the corners and then fold into a triangle. Then continue folding as a triangle till the other end. Don’t worry if they are not in perfect shape, you will get better with practice. Make sure that your hands are dry as filo pastry is very delicate and the whole folding process will be more difficult with wet hands.

04. While folding, I have a baking tray next to my wooden board, drizzled with a bit of olive oil. As I fold each triangle I place it on the tray. You can also use some parchment paper for the bottom of the tray instead of olive oil but I find oil works better for a crispy result on both sides. When all triangles are on the tray, brush them with some more olive oil.

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05. I bake them for half an hour in a preheated oven to 180°C/350°F or until they are golden brown. Let them cool down for a couple of minutes and then place them on a wire rack to remain crispy on both sides.

Tips

• Cooking the onion and leek for a few minutes allows their sweetness to come out which results in more flavor.
• Cooking the spinach for a few minutes makes more of its water evaporate resulting in a more crispy mini triangle.
• Covering the filo pastry with a tea towel will prevent it from drying out whilst folding the spinach & cheese triangles.
• Using two strips of filo pastry for each triangle with some oil between them will result in a more crispy and flakey triangle.
• Using a wire rack to cool down the triangles after baking prevents them from getting soggy on the bottom side.

Serving suggestions

The Greek spinach and feta triangles are really versatile. You could have them for breakfast, light lunch with some salad or as an appetizer. They are great as a morning snack, for taking out on a walk and for lunch boxes for children. They are suitable for babies from 6 months old and a great option if you follow the Baby Led Weaning method.

Storage

I like to store the spinach and feta cheese triangles in an airtight container at room temperature and consume them in 2-3 days. In the fridge, they will last longer, 5-7 days but the filo pastry will become softer. They are also freezable before being baked. After folding all the triangles, put some parchment paper squares between them and put them in the freezer for up to 2 months. They don’t need any defrosting, just preheat your oven and bake them for 30 minutes or until golden brown.

FAQ

• What type of herbs can I use in Greek spinach pie? For the Greek spinach pie, we usually add on top of the spinach other fresh green herbs like parsley, mint, dill and wild greens.

• What type of cheese can I add to my spinach and cheese triangles? Feta cheese is the most popular cheese for Greek Spinach and feta triangles. Along with feta cheese, you could also add some soft cheese like ricotta or anthoturos, and some hard cheese like graviera, kefaloturi, manchego or hard goats cheese.

• Can I freeze the spinach and feta triangles? Spinach and feta cheese triangles can be frozen before cooked. To avoid sticking together, add some small parchment paper squares between them before placing them in the freezer.