Will there be posts this week? Maybe. Maybe not. Spinach and phyllo and feta! It must be spanikopita.

Yetis can be awfully busy between the end of November through the beginning of January. It's time to start thinking about harvesting snow for the long summers, the snowdogs come out of their hibernation and want to play, and sometimes there are Yeti relatives that want some Yeti food. And sometimes the Yeti friends come over for a party. Here is a good party dish in small servings, or you can fancy it up and wrap the filling in individual layers of phyllo for some appetizers or small bites.

Easy Spanikopita

3 boxes frozen chopped spinach, thawed and liquid squeezed out or 36 oz fresh spinach, trimmed, washed thoroughly and drained, then chopped just a bit.
1 medium onion, as finely chopped as you like it.
1/2 cup chopped parsley (optional) – I usually don’t do this.
8-10 oz. feta cheese, grated or crumbled
1 egg
2 tbsp olive oil ¼ cup butter (1/2 stick) (or equivalent amount of olive oil – do not use margarine, it won’t work well. Butter works better than olive oil, but olive oil is acceptable)
Salt and pepper
”Enough” phyllo dough – I use store bought dough already in sheets from the freezer section, usually about ½ a package. Also optional – a small amount of grated parmesan cheese (about 1 tablespoon)

Before starting - preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Make sure the phyllo dough is thawed. Pregrease a 9 by 12 inch pan that is at least 1 in deep, or something similar in size, with a light coating of olive oil. Pam or a similar spray would work well.

In a large sauté pan over medium heat, put the 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Start the onions sautéing, and add a 2 small shakes of salt. After the onions start to sweat (become slightly translucent, about 3-5 minutes) add the spinach. Stir until the spinach is wilted and cooked – this will take about 5 more minutes. Set the mixture aside to cool.

Break up the feta in a large mixing bowl. Add the 1 egg and mix thoroughly. When the mixture of spinach and onion is room temperature, combine with the egg and feta mixture. Mix well. Melt the ¼ cup of butter or just use an equivalent of olive oil. Unroll the phyllo dough. Take one sheet of the phyllo dough and brush one side lightly with butter or oil. Place this sheet in the bottom of the baking pan butter side up. Repeat with 3-5 more sheets of phyllo dough, each buttered on 1 side. Take the entire cooled spinach – feta – onion – egg mixture and spread evenly on the top of the phyllo layers. Sprinkle the 1 tablespoon of parmesan cheese over the spinach mixture. Now, layer again with phyllo dough buttered on the top side. Use at least 4 layers more on top of the mixture. Bake the spanakopita for 40-45 minutes. The top layer of phyllo should be golden brown. Wait for 10-15 minutes after removing from the oven to slice and serve. Leftovers should be reheated in the oven for 10-15 minutes at 300F, not in the microwave unless necessary – it will be not as crispy.

Serves about 2 yeti, or 4 people, maybe 6-8 at most with salad or as a side dish. This is pretty filling.