zeljanica (spinach pie)
filling
1lb fresh spinach, chopped
3 eggs, separated
1/4 cup (or so) cream of wheat fine grits or corn meal
1 tsp (or so) baking powder
1lb (or so) sour cream
1/4 cup (or so) ricotta or cream cheese
(but any kind of creamy or cheesy dairy can be used)
salt
rest
1 package filo dough (in sheets)
whipping cream
soda water
oil & butter
beat egg whites until fluffy, then combine all the fill ingredients in a large bowl, adding the spinach last
put some oil (1/4 cup or so) and butter (1 tbsp??) into a cup and microwave 30 seconds or until butter melts. use a pastry brush or a spoon to sprinkle a bit of this on every filo sheet as you layer them in step 3
grease a casserole dish (you will want something fairly deep and just slightly smaller than the size of the filo), and layer 4 filo sheets on the bottom
alternate layers of the fill and 2 filo sheets. you will probably have 3-4 layers of fill so determine how much to use on each layer accordingly. make sure you get some in the corners and along the edges, not just the middle. for the filo, let it crumple/wrinkle a little as you layer it.
your last 2 or 3 sheets of filo should form the top layer
evenly pour the rest of your oil mixture over the top and then sprinkle with a couple of tablespoons of soda water
bake at 400 for 40-ish minutes
5 minutes before it’s done, warm up some whipping cream and pour it evenly over everything, then put back in oven.
when the crust starts to brown, it’s done! best to let it rest for a few minutes before cutting
