Spanakopita

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 bunch of spinach or other greens
1-2 tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, finely diced
4 cloves of garlic, finely diced
1 tsp paprika or nutmeg, or both
1 lemon, juice & rind
2 tbsp each of chopped mint and parsley
handful of toasted pine nuts (optional)
1/2 C feta (goat’s feta works nicely)
1/2 C ricotta
1/4 C grated parmesan or pecorino cheese
2 eggs
freshly ground black pepper
120 g unsalted butter, melted
6 sheets of filo pastry, cut in half

Summary

Make use of a big bunch of local spinach this week and feed the hordes with some spanakopita and a fresh cucumber salad. If you have rainbow chard or kale or any other greens use them up too, it doesn’t need to be just spinach leaves.

Spanakopita

Preheat your oven to 180ºC. Wash and pat dry your spinach greens and finely shred both the stalks & leaves. Sauté onions in olive oil until softened, adding the garlic a little later so it doesn’t burn. Then throw in your greens, cooking the chopped stalks first if you are using chard or something with a thicker stem. Add the fresh herbs, lemon rind and juice and paprika/nutmeg and cook, stirring until all is soft and excess water has evaporated. Leave to cool. If your mixture is looking a little wet, consider using a colander to wring out the mixture. Beat eggs in a large bowl, add cheeses and the spinach mixture, and season with freshly ground pepper. Throw in the pine nuts if you’re using them.

Brush a baking dish with some melted butter, lay 1 sheet (cut in half) of filo pastry so it covers the bottom and side of the tray. Brush with oil and then add another sheet on top. Continue until you’ve layered all 6 sheets. Ladle the mixture onto the filo pastry, and the repeat the filo process for another 6 sheets on top, brushing the top with olive oil. Tuck in the sides and score the top of the pie with a sharp knife.

Bake for around 30-40 mins until golden and flaky. Serve with relish or olive tapenade, and a bright salad with some of this week’s crunchy spring cucumbers.

 

Hints and Tips

If you’re lactose intolerant you can reduce the amount of cheese, or try substituting with smoked tofu which can replace feta nicely. Alternatively consider making your own paneer style cheese from lactose free milk.