Spinach and Ricotta Filos

This recipe requires filo pastry sheets, which are kept in the freezer and should remain cool even while working with them. While wrapping one filo triangle, place the remaining stack of pastry sheets back in the fridge.

You can buy filo sheets in the frozen section at the supermarket but they contain a preservative and anti-caking agents. Apparently they are also in the deli section, but out of stock whenever I check. Hopefully they contain fewer nasties.

I don\’t make filos very often because it\’s a bit time-consuming to wrap the parcels. However, they can be made and frozen in batches.

I\’d like to try adding lentils to this recipe so might update it after I try. I\’d probably cook the lentils with turmeric and cumin (or some mild curry powder).

  • 800g baby spinach leaves, rinsed and spun in salad spinner to remove excess moisture
  • 1 onion or leek, chopped (alternatively, some spring onions)
  • 120g feta, broken up
  • 120g ricotta or quark
  • 3 cloves garlic, crushed
  • 2 or 3 eggs, beaten
  • 120g flaked almonds, toasted
  • nutmeg
  • salt and pepper
  • herbs like parsley, dill or oregano
  • about 6 sheets of filo pastry
  • 40g butter mixed with 60ml olive oil – and a silicone food brush
  • optional: mushrooms, chopped
  • optional: chicken thighs, chopped

Method:

  1. Preheat oven to 180C.
  2. Toast the nuts and set aside
  3. Fry the onion/leek, chicken and mushrooms if using and set aside.
  4. Pulse the spinach in a processor very briefly. (Don\’t let it go to mush!) You can also pulse the nuts with them if you wish.
  5. In a bowl, mix all ingredients together: eggs, ricotta/quark, feta, garlic, salt, pepper, nutmeg, herbs, spinach, onion, nuts, plus chicken and mushroom if using.
  6. Melt the butter and mix it with the olive oil.
  7. Cut the pastry sheets in half so that one sheet becomes 2 long narrow sheets.
  8. Remove 2 sheets to use immediately and place the rest back in the fridge.
  9. Brush butter along the top sheet. Place a spoonful of filling towards the bottom edge but high enough so you can fold the edge over. Fold one corner diagonally over the filling so that it forms a triangle. Once you have the triangle shop, you kind of keep rolling it on itself to wrap the filling up.
  10. Brush more butter on the top of of the fillo (or alternatively, brush an extra beaten egg onto it) and then place it on a tray.
  11. Repeat until you finish the filling. Could make around 15. Be careful to not overfill each triangle or it will leak while cooking. You could freeze the triangles at this point and cook later.
  12. Bake for about 35 minutes until golden. Serve hot while the pastry is crisp. Goes well with a salad.

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