The Recipe Box

Yes, Ricotta is a Cheese! The Great Spanakopita Debacle

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This week on The Recipe Box, April Summers calls in from Chicago to tell us about one of the most memorable food moments when she made spanakopita to impress a crush, told a little white lie about the ricotta, and, well... things did not go as planned. Giggles ensued, and what follows is a heartfelt conversation about how cooking can be its own kind of love language.
 
From the Recipe Box of April Summers
Spanakopita 

Ingredients

  • 1 pound frozen chopped spinach, defrosted but not drained
  • 1 cup ricotta cheese
  • 1 cup feta cheese
  • 2 eggs
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon pepper
  • 1 teaspoon dry or 1 tablespoon fresh dill
  • 1 teaspoon fresh-squeezed lemon juice
  • 1 box (1 lound) phyllo dough, chilled but not frozen
  • 1½ sticks unsalted butter, melted

    • Directions

    Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Mix the spinach, cheeses, eggs, spices, herbs, and lemon juice in a mixing bowl. Set aside. Use parchment paper to line a 9-by-13-inch pan. Alternatively, you can use butter to grease the pan. 

    Begin to lay the sheets of phyllo dough in the pan. Use one layer at a time and brush lightly with melted butter between layers. If the dough begins to dry out while you work with it, cover it with a slightly damp kitchen towel or paper towel. Once half of the phyllo dough is in the pan, add half of the cheese mixture. Then layer the remaining half of the dough in the same manner. Bake until crispy and brown – 45-55 minutes. Enjoy!

    Special Thanks

    Production: Benjy Jeffords, SIU School of Journalism and Advertising 

    Marketing: Emma Thompson, Salukis AdLab 

    Music: MisunderStudios https://www.misunderstudios.com/

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    The Recipe BoxBy rootedinfoods