Spanakopita Beans Skillet

One pan of creamy, greeny, beany goodness

Well, well, well. Welcome in. I’m sitting down to write this as an attempt to finally break free of the viscious cycle of pinging back and forward between consuming Heated Rivalry content and despairing over America’s fascist take-over. Last week I could hardly even open my email, nevermind actually write a response! Sorry, just keeping it real. But seriously, it’s been an emotional time, and I’m sure most of us are feeling a bit low after the last few weeks of pure chaos we’ve had to endure.

Things I’ve been doing that are helping:

• Cooking, of course

• Junk journaling (like scrap booking, so meditative)

• Lots of exercising

• Reading

• Getting outside

• Computer work at a coffee shop instead of at home

• Calling my senators, donating, etc.

Winter is the time to hunker down and fiber up, and this dish is perfect for exactly that. Everyone’s on a bean kick right now because they’re finally realizing that in order to actually digest all the protein they’re consuming, they need fiber to move things along. Fiber is also what truly keeps you full. It slows digestion, stabilizes your energy, and makes your meals go the distance so you don’t risk a crash. And let’s not overlook the fact that beans are wildly affordable at a time when grocery prices are at an all time high.

In college, I studied dietetics, and I’m pretty sure roughly 70% of my nutrition classes revolved around fiber. Why it matters, how it supports digestion, and how essential it is for keeping your system running smoothly, preventing disease, etc. Years later I’ve forgotten how the exact pathway for how glucose gets converted to glycogen to be stored in the liver but I definitely remember the emphasis put on dietary fiber. Now I try to bring this into my cooking, because somewhere along the way fiber got swept under the rug as our culture became hyper-focused on protein above all else. As always, everything in moderation, miluvs.

Spanakopita is a forever favorite food of mine, sign me up for herby greens and flaky crust all day every day. This dish has the same flavor profile as spanakopita but with beans making up the bulk of the dish for an easy week night dinner. I use fresh spinach here and break it down in my food processor so it melts completely into the dish. However, I do think frozen spinach could be a good sub here if you dont want to go through the hassle of processing fresh spinach. Also, if you don’t have a food processor just hand chop to the best of your abilities.

Spanakopita Beans Skillet

10 ounces baby spinach

2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more

1 bunch scallions, root ends trimmed and thinly sliced

1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more

3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

Pinch of red pepper flakes

1/4 bunch fresh dill, finely chopped, (about 1/3 cup), plus more to garnish

Zest and juice of 1 lemon (about 1 tablespoon zest and 2 to 3 tablespoons juice)

2 15-ounce cans cannellini beans

1 cup chicken broth

5-ounces feta in brine, crumbled

preparation

1. Add half of the spinach to the bowl of a food processor and pulse 8 to 10 times, scraping down the sides as needed, until finely chopped but not puréed. Transfer to a bowl and repeat with the remaining spinach.

2. Heat the olive oil in an 8-inch cast iron skillet or other oven-proof pan over medium heat until shimmering. Add the scallions and season with a pinch of kosher salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and fragrant, 4 to 5 minutes.

3. Add the chopped spinach and season with 1 teaspoon kosher salt. Cook until the spinach has lost about 75% of its volume, is dark green and nearly paste-like, and most of the moisture has cooked off, about 10 minutes.

4. Stir in the dill and lemon zest and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the beans, lemon juice, and chicken stock and bring to a gentle simmer.

5. Stir in most of the feta, reserving a couple tablespoons for topping, and mix until evenly distributed. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.

6. Top with the remaining feta and a drizzle of olive oil. Transfer to the oven and bake for 15 minutes, until bubbling around the edges.

7. Serve hot over toast, tossed with orzo, alongside a protein of choice, or just enjoyed on its own.

And don’t forget ….