Greek-Inspired Spinach Pie (Crustless/Gluten-Free)
This vegetable-rich dish can be served as a main dish, accompanied by your favorite grain or starchy vegetable. Or the dish can be cut into smaller squares and served as an appetizer. Either way, the vegetables & herbs provide a rich assortment of protective compounds, including anti-inflammatory flavonoids and antioxidant carotenoids, plus fiber. And the milk and cheese add plenty of protein & calcium. And while Feta is a saltier cheese, there is plenty of potassium in this recipe to balance the sodium. NOTE: If you plan to serve this dish as an appetizer, add a cup of cooked rice to the vegetable sauté, before topping with the egg/milk mixture to create a pie with firmer texture.
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 cup chopped shallots or onions
- 1 ½ cups chopped parsley
- ½ cup chopped fresh dill
- 1 lb. frozen spinach, loose pack preferred
- 1 cup whole milk
- 4 lg eggs
- 6 oz feta cheese
- Salt & pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Coat a 9×13-inch glass (or oven-proof) pan with 1 tbsp. olive oil. Add the other tbsp olive oil to a large skillet. Saute the shallots, parsley, dill, and spinach over medium heat until the onions are translucent.
Meanwhile, blend together (to a creamy consistency) the milk, eggs, cheese, salt, & pepper. Pour the wilted vegetables into the baking dish. Cover the vegetables with the milk/egg mixture. Bake for 40 minutes (until the custard is set). Let rest for 5-10 minutes before serving.
Makes 8 servings. Each serving provides about 170 calories, 10g protein, 12g fat (5g sat fat). 130 mg cholesterol, 8 g carbohydrate, 4 g sugar, 2g fiber, 245 mg calcium, 60 mg potassium, 330 mg sodium, and 385 mg potassium.