Spinach & Feta on Filo Baskets

Filo or Phillo dough is used for making pastries in Middle Easter cuisine. It is thin, light, airy and flaky after you bake it. The main difference between the filo dough and the puff pastry is the fact that filo has very little fat, while the puff pastry is made with butter.

You can find the filo dough in the frozen section of almost every supermarket, or at a Greek Market. The only downside of cooking with filo is that it dries out quickly, so you should have it cover at all times.

Here is an idea for an easy and "healthy" appetizer for Christmas.

What do you need?

36 Phillo mini baskets (Sold fully baked and frozen)

30 Oz Spinach (frozen)

1/2 Yellow onion (large)

1/2 Cup + 2 Tbsp. Ricotta cheese

1/2 Cup Parmesan cheese

1/3 Cup Crumble feta cheese

1 Tsp. Olive oil

3/4 Tsp. Garlic (crushed)

1/4 Tsp. Nutmeg

Salt and pepper to taste

What to do?

1. Pre-heat the oven at 400 F degrees

2. Heat a medium pan on low heat and add the frozen spinach. Cook on low for 10-15 minutes until all the water evaporates

3. Cut the onion is small cubes and measure all the ingredients

4. Once the spinach starts to stick to the pan, add the olive oil, onion, garlic, nutmeg, and a little salt and pepper. Saute for couple of minutes or until the onion is translucent

5. Add the ricotta cheese and the parmesan cheese and stir for a minute

6. Remove the pan from the heat, add the feta cheese and stir to incorporate it the cheese well

7. Let the filling cool down before using and defrost the basket by leaving them outside the fridge minutes before assembling your appetizer

8. Transfer your filo baskets to a baking pan, fill them with a teaspoon of the spinach filling and sprinkle a little more parmesan cheese on the top

9. Bake the baskets for 5 minutes or until the cheese melts

Voila!

Tips, variations & more:

• I love this appetizer because you can make it in advance. I made the spinach the day before Thanksgiving and filled them minutes before leaving my house. When I got to my SIL I simply open the oven and warmed them

• This baskets can be fill with almost everything you can imagine