There’s more to Purim food than Hamantashen. Although I must confess that Hamantashen is among one of my favorite “cookies.”
But consider why we eat them. Hamantashen are triangles, meant to remind us of the hat our enemy Haman wore as he tried to annihilate the Jews.
We eat the “hat” to rid ourselves and the world of this man and his evil ways.
So really, any triangular food will do. Kreplach is also popular.
But I’m going to vote for Spanakopitas. Spinach-filled, phyllo dough pastries that you can make large, for dinner, or small, as hors d’oeuvre. These are absolutely wonderful and freezable — make a bunch and keep them (well wrapped) for months to eat well past Purim.
Spanakopitas
1 10-ounce package frozen chopped spinach, thawed
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 large egg
4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
2 teaspoons minced fresh dill
freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/2 pound phyllo dough, approximately
4-6 tablespoons butter, melted, approximately
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Squeeze as much water out of the spinach as possible and set aside. Heat the olive oil in a saute pan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 2-3 minutes. Stir in the spinach and mix well. Remove the pan from the heat. Add the egg, feta cheese, Parmesan cheese, dill and pepper and mix well. Cut the phyllo leaves into strips about 1-3/4 inches wide. Working with one or as many as 4 strips at a time, brush the strips with a film of melted butter. Put a small amount of filling at the bottom of each strip. Fold the strips diagonally so that the short edge meets the long edge and covers the filling. Continue folding into triangle shapes as you would a flag. Place the triangle on a cookie sheet. Brush with more melted butter. Bake for about 18 minutes or until golden brown. Makes 30-36 pieces