Recipe: Spanakopita Quiche

Spanakopita Quiche
rec.food.recipes/rosasharn/1999
Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 1 wedge)

Spinach, feta cheese, and phyllo dough, key ingredients in the classic Greek dish spanakopita (span-uh-KOH-pih-tuh), combine with cottage cheese in this unique quiche. Breadcrumbs sprinkled between the phyllo layers prevent a soggy crust.

Vegetable cooking spray
1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1 cup 1% low-fat cottage cheese
1/2 cup (2 ounces) crumbled feta cheese
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2/3 cup nonfat buttermilk
2 eggs
1 egg white
1/4 cup chopped green onions
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
1 large clove garlic
6 sheets frozen phyllo pastry, thawed
2 tablespoons fine, dry breadcrumbs, divided
1 1/2 cups (1/4-inch-thick) sliced plum tomato

Coat a 9-inch pie plate with cooking spray; set aside. Press spinach between paper towels until barely moist; set aside.

Position knife blade in food processor bowl; add cottage cheese and next 5 ingredients, and process until smooth. Add spinach, green onions, oregano, and garlic; process 45 seconds. Set aside.

Working with 1 phyllo sheet at a time, lightly coat each sheet with cooking spray. Fold phyllo sheet in half crosswise to form a 13 x 8 1/2-inch rectangle, and lightly coat both sides of rectangle with cooking spray. Gently press rectangle into pie plate, allowing ends to extend over edges of pie plate.

Repeat procedure with a second sheet of phyllo, placing it across first sheet in a crisscross design; sprinkle 1 tablespoon breadcrumbs over second sheet. Repeat procedure with remaining phyllo and breadcrumbs, continuing in crisscross design, ending with phyllo. Fold in edges of phyllo to fit pie plate and form a rim.

Pour spinach mixture into prepared crust; gently arrange tomato slices over filling.

Bake at 350 degrees for 55 minutes or until a knife inserted 1 inch from center comes out clean; let stand 10 minutes. Cut into wedges.