Mini-Spanakopitas

Photo Courtesy of Cooking Light

Source: Cooking Light, June 2001

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

Preheat oven to 350º.

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

Heat 2 teaspoons olive oil in a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add green onions; sauté 2 minutes or until soft. Stir green onions, dill, and next 4 ingredients into spinach mixture.

Combine 1 tablepsoon 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, (cover remaining phyllo dough to keep it from drying) cut each sheet lengthwise into 4 (3 1/2-inch wide) strips (NOTE: I could only get 3 strips from my sheets of phyllo); lightly brush phyllo sheet with egg mixture. Spoon about 1 tablespoon spinach mixture onto one end of each strip. Fold one corner of strip over mixture, forming a triangle; keep folding back and forth into a triangle to end of strip.

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

Yield: 20 appetizers (serving size: 1 triangle).

NUTRITION PER SERVING: CALORIES 43(44% from fat); FAT 2.1g (sat 0.6g,mono 1.1g,poly 0.3g); PROTEIN 2.3g; CHOLESTEROL 2mg; CALCIUM 44mg; SODIUM 147mg; FIBER 0.8g; IRON 0.8mg; CARBOHYDRATE 4g