Green-bean-and-feta bake

Prepare this winner the day before so that it’s ready to cook just before you’re about to serve it. You can also replace the beans with mushrooms or roasted butternut.

Serves 6 Preparation time 30 minutes Cooking time 35 minutes

You need

• ¼ cup (60ml) olive oil • 2 large onions, chopped • 2 cups (500ml) green beans, chopped • 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped • 3 tablespoons (45ml) tomato purée • ½ teaspoon (2,5ml) ground cinnamon • ½ teaspoon (2,5ml) salt • 60g dates, chopped (or seedless raisins) • 80g flaked almonds • 6-8 sheets phyllo pastry • 60g butter, melted • 200g feta cheese

This is how

Heat the olive oil and sauté the onion for 4 minutes before adding the green beans. Continue frying until the onion is soft and the beans change colour and are cooked, but not yet soft.

Stir in the garlic, tomato purée, cinnamon and salt, season to taste with freshly ground black pepper, and stir-fry it all together until the mixture is flavourful. Stir in the dates or raisins and the almonds.

Heat the oven to 180°C and grease an oven tray of 24cm x 18cm with butter. Line the tray with 4 layers of phyllo pastry, brushing each one with melted butter before placing the next layer on top. Scrape half the bean mixture onto the pastry layers and crumble half the feta cheese on top. Cover with another 4 layers of phyllo pastry. Scrape the remaining green beans on top, crumble the rest of the feta over and finish with another 4 layers of buttered phyllo pastry. Use a sharp knife to cut the dish into blocks – make sure you cut through all the layers of phyllo pastry, right down to the bottom layer.

Bake in the oven for 35 minutes until the pastry is golden brown and crisp. Serve it hot or at room temperature, but keep in mind that the flavour is at its best within 2 hours of the dish coming out of the oven.