Spanikopita Meatballs with Tzatziki

Meatballs: 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus some for liberal drizzling

1 small onion, finely chopped

3 cloves garlic, chopped, divided

2 boxes frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained well ( I chop it again)

  ¾ cup crumbled feta cheese (I used more, adding tomato basil feta)

1 pound ground chicken (I used ½ pound gyro meat, finely chopped)

4 eggs(I did not see how the meatball ingredients would bind with the listed ingredients, so I added the eggs.)

1 tablespoon grill seasoning such McCormick Montreal seasoning

 

Tzatziki:

1½ cups Greek style plain yogurt

1 clove garlic, minced

1/3 seedless cucumber, peeled and chopped

3 tablespoons fresh dill

½ lemon, juiced

1½ teaspoons cumin

1½ teaspoons, coriander

Salt, to taste

Heat oven to 400 degrees. In a bowl combine onion and 3 cloves of garlic. Squeeze the water out of the spinach until as dry as possible. Separate the spinach as you add it to garlic and onion. Add feta, chicken, if using (or gyro meat) and grill seasoning to the bowl and a liberal drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil. Mix the meat with veggies and feta and form 18 (1½-inch) meatballs. Place the meatballs on a nonstick cookie sheet and bake 10 to 12 minutes until they are golden and juices from chicken run clear. Tzatziki: Place yogurt, garlic, cucumber, dill, lemon juice, cumin, coriander and a little salt in food processor and process until smooth. Adjust seasonings and transfer to a serving bowl. Serve meatballs alongside sauce with toothpicks. I baked the meatballs the night before, then reheated them in phyllo cups. (Recipe courtesy of Rachael Ray)