Greek · Authentic-ish Greek
Spanakopita
305 kcal a serving, against 447 for the traditional version. That is 142 kcal off, or 32%, with 16.8g of protein. Serves 8. 1 hour 15 minutes.
What the traditional version is
A huge pile of spinach wilted down and mixed with spring onions, fresh dill, whole eggs and a massive quantity of crumbled feta. The mix is encased in 12 sheets of filo pastry, with every layer drenched in olive oil, then baked until golden.
What changed, and what each change costs
150g of olive oil down to 40g
Filo pastry is practically fat-free straight out of the packet. It's the oil you paint between the layers that does the damage. Dropping the oil saves a huge amount of fat.
What it costs you. The pastry won't shatter quite as spectacularly. It still gets crisp and golden, but it lacks that deep, fried-dough resonance of a proper bakery pie. You've got to brush carefully so every sheet gets a tiny bit.
400g of feta down to 200g, adding 200g of part-skimmed ricotta
Feta is heavy and fatty. Cutting it in half removes a huge chunk of fat. The light ricotta steps in to keep the filling moist and thick while bringing a solid hit of protein.
What it costs you. Feta brings an aggressive, salty tang that defines the dish. Ricotta is incredibly mild. You'll definitely notice the loss of punch, so you have to season the spinach mixture heavily with salt and black pepper to compensate.
Adding 100g of liquid egg whites
With less fat in the cheese, the filling needs a bit more structure. Egg whites bind the wet spinach together and push the protein up for almost zero calories.
What it costs you. Nothing at all. They vanish entirely into the spinach and cheese mixture without altering the flavour or the texture.
The numbers
| Per serving | Traditional | Lightened |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 447 | 305 |
| Protein | 16.4g | 16.8g |
| Fat | 33.1g | 16.3g |
| Saturated fat | 10.6g | 6.5g |
| Carbohydrate | 23.5g | 24.7g |
| Protein per 100 kcal | 3.7g | 5.5g |
Every figure is computed from the recipe's own weighed ingredient list against public food composition databases. The appendix in Authentic-ish Greek prints the exact database row used for each ingredient, so any number here can be checked.
Allergens. gluten, eggs, milk.
The method is in the book
It's a trade-off. The original is an oily, shattering masterpiece. This version trades some of that crispness and salty punch for a pie you can eat a massive slab of on a Tuesday without feeling sluggish. It's still a very good spinach pie, and the numbers are completely transformed.
The quantities and the method for this dish are in Authentic-ish Greek, along with 56 more. Buy the paperback