Spanokopita

Trying to fill my days with things I love to do, meanwhile having fibromyalgia, means that any craft or project I tackle has to be either quick or can be broken into chapters.
I used to enjoy cooking, but it can be so taxing standing in the kitchen for long periods, chopping, lifting, bending. A recipe has to be easy and has to be managed in a short amount of time.It's a challenge for me to find foods that fit that category, but I've been having fun trying.

Recently, I really wanted spanakopita, a Greek phyllo pastry appetizer, with a delicious savory filling of spinach and feta. It turns out, you can make a quicker version of the traditional, with a twist.

Not wanting to deal with phyllo, I bought frozen puff pastry, that once thawed in the fridge for a day, can be rolled out without fuss, filled, folded over, and baked, with buttery and flakey results. Not as light as
phyllo, but a tastey substitute.

For the filling, I used packaged and already rinsed spinach. You could use garden fresh, or canned, but not having to wash or squeeze means time saved and an extra step not taken. A couple of handfuls in a skillet, will wilt in no time, with a drizzle of olive oil, dashes of salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Once wilted, remove from heat and add a beaten egg, and as much crumbled feta(which you can find already crumbled in the supermarket) as you like. Stir well and allow to cool.

I decided that instead of making many small triangles, that I would make a streudel type dish. I rolled the puff pastry into a rectangle and arranged the filling on half the width, egg washed the edges,and folded the bare side over. Crimping together with a fork, I then sliced through the top to vent the filling. I baked it at a high 400 degrees to make the most of the puff, until golden. Once the spanikopita had cooled a little, I sliced it into individual servings, about eight per streudel.

For the frustrated cook in me this whole process, from prep to enjoying, was Most Satisfying!
And I will live to cook another day...