Spanakopita (greek Greens Pie )

Total Time: 1 hr 15 mins Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 45 mins

Ingredients

• 1 (17 ounce) package thawed phyllo dough
• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 1 lb spinach (fresh or frozen)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 lemon, juice and zest of, grated
• 1 1/2 cups coarse diced onions
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups cooked rice
• 1/2 cup water
• 3 tablespoons seedless raisins
• 2 eggs
• 24 ounces feta cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper

Recipe

• 1 cook spinach til tender; drain, lightly squeeze out excess water and place in med bowl. add 1 tbsp olive oil, lemon juice and rind to spinach; mix well. set aside.
• 2 saute onions with spices in 2 tbsp olive oil until onions are transparent. stir in rice, water and raisins; heat through. set aside.
• 3 in separate bowl, beat eggs lightly with pepper. add feta cheese and mix well. set aside.
• 4 in a 9" oiled deep pie pan, lay one sheet of phyllo on the bottom of the pan and brush entire surface with melted butter. top with 7 more sheets, one by one, brushing each and rotating each sheet 20 degrees. there will be over-hang.
• 5 over that, carefully layer the onion mixture, then the spinach, then the cheese.
• 6 cover with a top 'crust' of phyllo by repeating same procedure as step 4: eight sheets, each brushed with butter and rotated.
• 7 roll-up the overhanging dough to form a seal. brush top with melted butter.
• 8 bake 350 degrees, for 1/2 hour. lay a piece of foil over top and continue to bake for another 1/2 hour or until done.
• 9 allow to cool to room temperature before eating.