Spanikopita, Chickpea Patties, Tzatziki

For tonight's Greek dinner, I combined 2 items that can be used as appetizers, or dinner. I used my version of my mom's Spanikopita filling recipe, and made triangles instead of a pie. I paired it with Chickpea patties, a recipe I found in a Greek cookbook. I made a few changes to speed up the cook time, like using canned not dried beans. I also dry pan fried them instead of frying them in 1" of oil. I served the patties with Tzatziki, one of my favorite condiments to eat with pita or falafel, similar to these patties. I finished this meal off with some leftover okra, not pictured.

Spanikopita Triangles, Revithokeftedes (Chickpea Patties) and Tzatziki (Yogurt Dip)

Spanikopita:

1 roll of phyllo dough, thawed, rolled out and covered with a damp towel

½ stick butter, melted or butter nonstick cooking spray

2 c. chopped spinach, drained well

1 c. cottage cheese, drained

½ c. crumbled feta

1 egg

½ tsp. oregano

1 tbsp. onion powder

½ tsp. salt

½ tsp. pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Mix spinach, cottage cheese, feta, egg and spices in a bowl.Lay phyllo out on a cutting board. Brush 1 layer with butter, add another, brush, repeat 4 times. Slice each sheet lengthwise 3 times, making 3 long strips. Plate a spoonful of spinach mixture into the end, fold over to form a triangle, continue folding until you reach the end of the dough.

Place seam side down on a baking sheet. Continue until you’ve made all the triangles.

Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown.

Revithokeftedes:

1 15 oz. can of chickpeas, drained, mashed in the can

1 yellow onion, minced

3 sprigs of green onion, minced

salt and pepper

1/4 c. cornstarch

1 tbsp. fresh chopped mint

1/2 tsp. dried oregano

Olive oil or nonstick spray

In a large nonstick skillet over medium low, sautee' onions and scallions. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for 5 minutes.

While onions cook, add mashed chickpeas, cornstarch, mint, and oregano to a bowl. Add onion mixture, toss.

Heat the same nonstick skillet to medium-high. Spray with nonstick spray or drizzle with EVOO. Drop mixture into 4 patties in the pan. Cook for 6 minutes on each side, until golden brown.

Serve with Tzatziki

Recipe derived from The Foods of the Greek Islands, Aglaia Kremezi. Houghlin Mifflin: NY, 2003.

Tzatziki:

1/2 c. plain yogurt

1/4 c. minced cucumber

1 tsp. garlic salt

1 tsp. minced dill

1 tbsp. minced parsley

Juice of 1 lemon

Mix all ingredients, taste for seasoning. Serve with Chickpea patties.