This is a vlitopita! It’s my first time making it. What to do with so much vlita (amaranth plants) that I have? Use some in a pita! So this savory pie is one of the very many Greek pites that we see all over Greece. Everyone knows spanakopita & tiropita. Those are only two! We make hundreds of them! Both sweet & savory.
Vlita are amaranth greens. I grow them, but you can find them in some Asian markets as “Chinese spinach” – though no relation to spinach. They are full of a great deal of nutrients beneficial to the body. They are one of the main ingredients in the famous Jamaican called callaloo. It is also often used in one of my favorite Indian dishes, saag paneer. So you may already tried it!
If you want to learn more about vlita, click this link from a past blog post:
https://onxeniastreet.com/2020/06/10/vlita-boiled-amaranth-greens/
This pita is made with vlita, shredded zucchini, shredded carrot, white onion, scallions, and herbs. Most use mint & dill. I did not have any dill, so I simply improvised with that I do have in the garden. So I used peppermint, Greek oregano, English thyme, Greek & Italian basils.
Ingredients:
10 leaves of vlita
1 small zucchini
1/4 cup shredded carrots
1/2 of a white onion
A sprig each of mint, basil, oregano & thyme
4 scallions
1/2 cup of extra virgin olive oil
1 egg
1 cup feta cheese
Salt & pepper
Juice of 1/2 a lemon
8 sheets of phyllo dough 1 stick of melted butter
Directions:
Chop the onion & the vlita(amaranth leaves). Add in grated zucchini & carrots. Sauté that to soften and cook down with a little extra virgin olive oil, salt & pepper. Allow to cool down to room temperature & drain excess liquid. Chop up the herbs & scallions. Combine the two in a medium bowl. Add in 1 beaten egg to bind. Add in chunky crumbles of feta. A drizzle of olive oil, lemon juice, salt& pepper to taste.
Using melted butter, brush your 9 inch pie pan to coat it very well. Lay down 4 sheets of phyllo, drizzling butter over them. Add the filling. Layer another 4 sheets over that, drizzling butter. You drizzle the butter over the inner phyllo leaves to create air pockets and crunch in nearly every bite.
The final sheet, you will brush the butter on, tucking in all of the edges. Score the phyllo into whatever size pieces you like. Pour over any remaining melted butter.
I sprinkled it with toasted sesame & dry oregano.
Bake for 1 hour at 350 F.
Allow to cool for 20 minutes & enjoy!
Kali Oreksi!
(I also used the rest of the phyllo for a tiropita (feta cheese pie) that George loves so much). Below is the link to that recipe.
on xenia street 