Mini-Spanakopitas

I found this recipe on CookingLight.com and before you shrug it off because it came from a health food website, I would REALLY urge you to try it. I was more than a little surprised by how much flavor these little guys could pack, all the while not breaking the bank or your scale.

Ingredients

• FILLING:
• 1 (10-ounce) package fresh spinach, coarsely chopped
• 1/3 cup (about 1 1/2 ounces) feta cheese, crumbled
• 1/4 cup 1% low-fat cottage cheese
• 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 1/2 cups chopped green onions
• 1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh or 1 1/2 teaspoons dried dill
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 large egg whites, lightly beaten
• 
  REMAINING INGREDIENTS:
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 large egg white
• 5 sheets frozen phyllo dough, thawed

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°.

To prepare filling, place spinach in a large skillet or Dutch oven. Place over medium heat; cook until spinach wilts. Place the spinach mixture in a colander, pressing until barely moist. Combine the spinach and cheeses in a bowl; set aside.

Heat 2 teaspoons olive oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the green onions; sauté for 2 minutes or until soft. Stir the green onions and the next 5 ingredients (green onions through 2 egg whites) into spinach mixture.

Combine 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1 egg white in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Working with 1 phyllo sheet at a time, cut each sheet lengthwise into 4 (3 1/2-inch-wide) strips; lightly brush phyllo sheet with egg mixture (cover the remaining phyllo dough to keep it from drying). Spoon about 1 tablespoon spinach mixture onto one end of each strip. Fold one corner of the opposite end over mixture, forming a triangle; keep folding back and forth into a triangle to the end of strip.

Place triangles, seam sides down, on a baking sheet. Bake at 350° for 20 minutes or until golden.

The prep work is a bit time consuming but when you are done it is so worth it. So worth it, in fact, that I plan on making them for a dinner party sometime- I want EVERYONE to get to try these little things. A few notes--- Puff Pastry and Phyllo dough are DIFFERENT THINGS. I made the mistake and came home with puff pastry, quickly realized that it wasn't what I needed and had to go back to the store (I DESPISE going back to the store!). Take your time wrapping them up and SERIOUSLY cover the phyllo dough like it says- they aren't BSing that it dries out pretty fast. I think that's about it --- but seriously try it. It is a bit more challenging than the other recipes I have posted thus far, but they are oh-so-delish.

See ya chefs!