It's Pie Time Spinach and Feta Pie on the Menu Tonight

Spinach and Feta Pie or Spanankopita

Such a easy way to get the green vege into your kids

Often children find it hard to eat those dark leafy vegetables 

But mix it up with cheese, onion and eggs

Turn that into a pie, with crispy Filo Pastry and you are onto a winner

I used a 23 cm square pan, this amount of filling was enough for this size

Don’t forget to work quickly with the filo pastry as it drives out quickly

In fact keep a damp towel to put over it if you have to walk away

Family couldn't wait for me to take the photograph 

You need 

Olive oil

400 gms frozen spinach thawed

1 large onion diced

2 cloves garlic smashed and finely chopped

2 spring onions finely chopped

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Nutmeg ground about 1/2 tsp

2 eggs lightly beaten

200 gms feta cheese crumbled

8 sheets Filo Pastry

Melted butter about 60 gms

Heat oven to 170C 

Put the thawed spinach in a tea towel 

and squeeze it to remove all the moisture  

Heat about 2 tablespoons Olive in in a pan

Medium heat

Add onion 

Sauté till tender

Add garlic and spring onions 

Continue over the heat about 2-3 minutes don’t let it brown

Add the spinach

and cook for about 4-5 minutes

Season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Add a little freshly grated nutmeg

Cool 

Meanwhile lightly beat the eggs

Add feta cheese and mix well

Season with a little sea salt and freshly ground black pepper 

Add spinach mixture

Your filling is ready to go

Remove your filo from the wrapper and lay on a damp towel 

It’s important that the pastry doesn’t dry out 

Brush the first layer with melted butter 

Lay in buttered tin 

Butter the next sheet and repeat till you have 4 layers

Add your cooled spinach mixture 

Then butter another sheet and lay on top

and repeat with another 3 layers

Fold the edges in

Brush top with little more melted butter

Score the top with a sharp knife

Bake at 170C for about an hour

By then the pastry will be golden and crispy

Below The Cross section, sorry about the photo I need a proper camera ha ha

We had some ketchup on the side

Lunch is served

A little salad on the side to round it out perhaps, if you feel like it 

Winters Here - Soup's Up

I love making soup, just such an excellent way to boost your vege intake all in one bowl

So nourishing and tasty... It has to be good for you

In the fridge, we had what is considered to be winter vege but actually these days, they are available 

all year around

I was lacking in any stock, so I chopped up some salami and used that for the extra flavour

Look at those Brussels Sprouts, I love them and to think I hated them when I was a kid

2 tablespoons of Olive Oil and 30 gms butter

8-10 slices of Pepperoni Salami chopped

1 Onion peeled and chopped

1/2 Cauliflower chopped

1/2 head Broccoli chopped

4 Brussels Sprouts sliced

Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper

Water

In a pot add the oil and butter

Melt

Add the salami

Saute for a few minutes

Add the onion just a few more minutes

Then the rest of the vege

Saute till they soften and are well tossed in the oil

Season well with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Add enough water to cover

Bring to boil and simmer till soft about 30-40 minutes

Remove from heat

Into Blender

AND just like that...Lunch is ready 

Enjoy

Leeks and Fish An Excellent Blend

Leeks are such an excellent. vegetable, so pretty, sweet and tasty 

Sweat them down in some beautiful butter and a touch of Olive oil

I can guarantee you will love them

Served with mashed potatoes with some spinach leaves added and sweet carrots on the side

A Beautiful dinner

This recipe embraces the Leek and combines it with beautiful Fresh Fish

For 4 people

You will need

1 filet fish per person

Olive Oil

Butter

2 leeks cleaned and finely sliced

Zest of 1 lemon

2 cloves garlic finely chopped

Chili Flakes

50 gms grated Parmesan Cheese

2 carrots washed and cut into half moons

Maple Syrup

Sea salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper

4 filets of white fish e.g. Snapper or Hapuka

4 large Potatoes

60 gms Butter

1/3 cup Milk

1 Packet  200 gms Baby Spinach lightly chopped

Small bunch  of Parsley

Heat the Oven to 200C/ fan forced 180C

Line a baking sheet with baking paper

Toss the carrots with a good glug of Olive oil and season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Into oven until tender about 25 minutes

Remove toss with 1 tbs of Maple syrup and 

return to the oven for about another 5 minutes

Remove from oven and set aside

Roughly chop the  Baby spinach

and finely chop the parsley

Peel the potatoes and cut into pieces,

Cook till tender

Remove from heat add milk put back on heat till milk bubbles

Remove again Mash potatoes

Add the butter and half the chopped parsley and the baby spinach

Mix well, the spinach will wilt 

Set aside

Meanwhile in a pan add a good slug of Olive oil and 30 gms butter

Add the sliced leeks and gently cook till softened

Add garlic then

Season with sea salt and a pinch of Chili Flakes 

plus the zest of the lemon

Cook gently for another 3-4 minutes till fragrant

add the Parmesan cheese and mix well

Set aside

Lightly oil the fish and season with sea salt and freshly ground Black pepper

Lay the fish on a baking sheet lined with baking paper

Cover with the leek mixture and return to the oven for another 6-8 minutes till the fish is cooked

Remove and serve with the sweet Carrots and Mashed Potato

Garnish with the remaining parsley

Guaranteed a winner for these cold winter night coming up