Spinach Pie With Sun Dried Tomatoes Recipes

FLAKY SPINACH, FETA & SUN DRIED TOMATO, FILO PIE

Steps:

• You will need a 29 cm L x 19 cm W x 5 cm D oven proof dish.
• If using frozen/defrosted spinach skip instructions 3 - 5.
• Remove the spinach leaves from the stalks and wash them in a sink of cold water.
• Place the leaves in a large bowl and cover them in boiling water, leave for 30 seconds.
• Drain the spinach into a colander and run some cold water through it to cool it down.
• Using your hands squeeze most of the water out and then place it in the centre of a tea towel.
• Wrap it up in the tea towel (like a vagabond's bag) and then over the kitchen sink squeeze it through the tea towel, removing any remaining water.
• Using a large knife, roughly slice or chop it up. Leave it on the board.
• Grate the cheese, crumble up the feta with your fingertips (or dice it up into little bits) and thinly slice up the sun-dried tomatoes and put it all aside with the spinach.
• Finely dice up the onion and the garlic and set them aside also.
• Break all of the eggs into a large bowl and whisk them together until frothy. Remove 2 tablespoons of the beaten egg and place bowl to be used to glaze the top of the pie later.
• In a medium sized pan over a medium heat, heat up the oil and 1 teaspoon of the the butter.
• Add the onions and stirring often, sauté them for 3 minutes or until they are soft and clear. Add the garlic and the nutmeg and continue cooking for 1 more minute.
• Add it along with the spinach, feta, grated cheese, sun-dried tomatoes and the salt and pepper to the bowl containing the beaten eggs and using a large spoon mix it altogether.
• Place a rack just below the centre of the oven and preheat the oven to 160°C fan bake oven or 180°C conventional oven, on bake.
• Melt the butter in the microwave (around 40 seconds) or in a little saucepan.
• Using a pastry brush, lightly brush the inside of the oven proof dish with some of the melted butter and then set it aside.
• Remove the filo from the box, unroll it and lay it out on a clean bench.
• Take 1 sheet from the top of the pile and lay it out on a board or the bench and using the pastry brush again, lightly brush it all over with butter, working fast because it dries out fast (you may like to lay a very well wrung out, damp tea towel over the stack of filo).
• Carefully lay a second sheet on top of the one you just buttered and also brush that with butter.
• Lay a third sheet on top and butter it too, making 3 sheets in total.
• Fold it all in half (this will create 6 layers) and lay it in the bottom of the buttered dish, scrunching it up a bit if you like.
• Spoon the filling into the dish on top of the pastry and spread it out.
• Repeat the buttering with 3 more sheets of filo, folding them in half again creating 6 layers.
• Lay the filo on top of the filling in the dish, scrunching it up again (if you have to) so that it covers the filling,
• Using the pastry brush again, brush the top of the pie with that tablespoon of egg set aside from earlier.
• If using the grated parmesan or poppy seeds, now sprinkle them all over the top.
• Place it into the oven and bake it for 30 minutes or until it feels firm to touch in the centre and the pastry is a golden brown.
• Serve warm with a salad and sweet chilli sauce.

CHRISTOPH'S MEDITERRANEAN SPINACH AND SUN DRIED TOMATO DISH

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook and stir baby spinach in hot oil until very tender, about 5 minutes. Season spinach evenly with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder, turning with tongs while sprinkling. Add tomatoes; cook and stir until tomatoes begin to soften, about 90 seconds. Sprinkle with feta cheese off heat and toss to serve.

SPINACH PIE WITH SUN-DRIED TOMATOES

Steps:

• Line a 9-inch pie plate with one crust round.
• Beat one of the eggs with a fork and use a pastry brush to lightly brush egg over the pie crust (you might not need all of the egg- save the rest for brushing the top crust later).
• Beat remaining eggs in a large bowl, using a whisk.
• Add cheese, pepper, and basil and stir to combine.
• Add spinach (make sure it has been drained very well- squeezed over a colander to get out all the freezer moisture), as well as the bread crumbs and tomatoes.
• Pour filling into crust and top with the second crust round.
• Fold edges under to seal and crimp or flute edges as desired.
• Brush with remaining egg wash.
• Cut a few slits in the top crust and bake in a preheated 375 F oven for 25 minutes.
• Cover edges with a ring of foil or a pie sheild, then continue baking another 20 minutes.
• Cool on wire rack at least 15 minutes before attempting to slice.