Silver beet and Feta Pie
This pie is a healthier version of spanakopita, a spinach and feta pie with lashings of cream and cheese.
1 large bunch (about 6 large leaves) silver beet
1 red onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
70g pine nuts (1 small packet)
2 tablespoons breadcrumbs
200g feta
500g cottage cheese
1/4 cup trim milk
12 sheets filo pastry
spray olive oil
Preheat the oven to 180ºC.
Wash the silver beet really well by immersing it in a sink full of water. Strip the leaves from the stems. Chop the leaves finely.
Chop the onion and garlic, cook in the olive oil over a moderate heat in a large pan until softened. Add the silver beet to the pan and cook until wilted and the whole lot has reduced in size by about half. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.
To make the cheese mixture, combine the cottage cheese, feta and milk in a blender or processor and process until smooth. Add salt and freshly ground black pepper, and fresh parsley if you like.
Spray a 20cm round dish with olive oil spray. Layer 2 sheets of filo pastry in the bottom, with a spray of oil in between. Sprinkle the pine nuts and breadcrumbs on top, then layer 3 more sheets of filo on top to form the base of the pie.
With clean hands, squeeze the (hopefully cooled) silver beet so that as much liquid as possible comes out. Spread the squeezed silver beet mixture in the bottom of the pie dish. Pour the cheese mix on top of this layer and spread evenly. Take the remaining filo and scrunch it up, a sheet at a time, and place on top of the pie so it’s all covered. (Or you could just make a flat top – totally up to you.) Spray with a little more olive oil and put it in the oven.
Bake for about 40 minutes, until golden on top and the filling has set nicely. Let it sit for 10 minutes or so before cutting up and devouring. It’s even better cold the next day!
The cottage cheese/feta combination is great as a cheese sauce for lasagne, too.
Recipe by: Niki Bezzant Styling: Niki Bezzant Photography: Joanna Wickham
Reproduced with permission of www.healthyfood.co.nz.
I am making this the next time I am in the kitchen!