Spanakopita

A delicious, simple and impressive pie.

Fact - the pies were first mentioned in a poem by Philoxenos in the 5th century B.C and they have survived to this day because they are so totally delicious and versatile. Traditionally made with filo and filled with spinach, egg and often with cheese, notably feta.

Quick to throw together, you can creative with seasonal produce and I guarantee it is loved by kids and adults. Basically a vessel for whatever delicious vegetables, cheese & eggs you have to hand - though by all means you could also give a vegan one a go by omitting the cheese and egg though you may find the texture a bit lacking without the binding eggs.

This has a layer of sweet potato and squash at the bottom then rainbow chard, spinach, eggs, dill, pine nuts, feta, lemon, salt and pepper mixed and spread on top. When you slice you get fantastic layers of colours and all the delicious flavours. You can melt butter with sage to spread between the layers for even more deliciousness.

Ingredients:

1 Sweet potato, roasted or boiled until soft

1 spring onion, sliced

handful of herb, parsely, basil or tarragon would work nicely

300g Spinach

150g Rainbow Chard (regular chard will do just fine!)

1 large onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, diced

2tbs olive oil

3 eggs

40g Dill, chopped

40g Parsley, chopped

1 lemon, zested

125g feta

40g pine nuts, toasted (you can use any nuts or seeds, or omit)

Salt

Black Pepper

4 sheets of filo pastry

4tbs olive oil or melted butter to brush on pastry

First make the sweet potato layer by mixing the cooked sweet potato flesh with the spring onion and herb. Set aside.

Sautée the onion and garlic with a pinch of salt.

Add the chard and spinach until wilted. Allow to cool then squeeze the mixture until most of the liquid comes out. Stir in the herbs, lemon, zest, pine nuts and feta. Toss together well and season with salt and pepper.

If you've got a good cast iron, start the pie on a medium heat to crisp the bottom before transferring to the oven to become beautifully golden and crunchy.

If you don’t have an oven safe pan, just take an oven dish and layer your filo.

Begin by adding some oil or melted butter to your dish. Add a layer of filo then butter before adding the next layer. Allow the filo to hang over the sides.

Add the sweet potato layer and spread on the bottom of the pie.

Top with the squeezed greens.

Fold over the edges of the filo until they meet in the middle and scrunch. You can add a bit more filo if you want to get a bit more height. Brush with more olive oil or butter and top with seeds or spices if you like.

Bake at 180’ for 30 minutes until golden and the filling has set.

You can assemble the pie the day before and bake when you need it.

Cooked it will last up to 4 days in the fridge.

Serve this warm or at room temperature with a crunchy and flavoursome Greek salad and you have yourself one delicious and crowd pleasing lunch!