MY GO-TO SPINACH AND CHEESE PIE

Serves 6

This is one of the first dishes I taught myself to cook, and it’s special to me because it’s my mother’s favourite. Whenever I offer to cook at Mum’s, she always asks for it! It’s easy to make and produces the most delicious golden, crunchy crust ad flavoursome filling. Spinach and kale are packed with iron, too, so it’s a great one for kids. You can just as easily use this filling to make filo triangles if you wish.

375g filo pastry, fresh or thawed 500g spinach, chopped

6 kale leaves, stems removed, chopped 1 tablespoon olive oil

1 onion, finely chopped

250g feta

2 garlic cloves, crushed

2 spring onions, finely sliced

¾ cup ricotta

½ teaspoon ground nutmeg 2 tablespoons breadcrumbs zest of ½ lemon

¼ cup mint leaves, chopped

¼ cup flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped 2 eggs, beaten

100 g butter, melted

2 tablespoons sesame seeds lemon wedges, to serve

Preheat oven to 180°C and grease a 20cm x 30cm baking dish or tray with olive oil. (Don’t worry if your tray is smaller, it just means that your filling will be a bit thicker.)

Place the filo sheets on a work surface and cover with a damp tea towel to prevent them from drying out.

Place the spinach and kale in a steamer over a large saucepan of boiling water and steam for

1–2 minutes or until the leaves wilt (you may need to work in batches). Set aside in a colander to drain and cool. Once cool, press the spinach and kale against the colander to squeeze out the excess water then chop into smaller pieces.

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat and cook the onion until soft and lightly golden. Set aside to cool.

Place the feta in a large bowl and rub it between your fingers to create a coarse crumb. Add the cooled onion, garlic, spring onion, ricotta, nutmeg, breadcrumbs, lemon zest, mint and parsley and mix well. (I like to do this with my hands to get a nice even texture without over mixing.)

Add the spinach and kale followed by the eggs and mix until well combined.

Using a sharp knife, halve the sheets of filo pastry. Place two sheets on a work surface and brush the top one with melted butter. Top with another two sheets of filo and again brush with butter, continuing until around half of the filo pastry has been used. Don’t worry if some of the sheets tear a little as this won’t matter once they’re cooked. Now place the buttered sheets of filo in the tray, gently pressing them into the corners.

Spoon the spinach and cheese mixture over the filo, spreading it out evenly. Butter the remaining filo sheets two sheets at a time and place them on top. Tuck in any overhanging pastry, then brush the top with butter and sprinkle with the sesame seeds.

Bake for 45 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown and crisp. If the pastry is browning too quickly, turn the heat down to 160°C and continue cooking for the remaining time. Allow the pie to cool for 10 minutes then serve with the lemon wedges.