Need to cook for pesky vegetarians this Christmas? Here Monix provides a delicious Christmas pie, which will also satisfy the carnivores…
Like many modern families, mine contains a number of vegetarians, and veggie food usually takes a little more thought and preparation than meat or fish dishes. But it can be worth the effort: this Christmas pie based on spinach and feta is a favourite with everyone.
You will need:
An 8 inch spring form cake tin
1 pack of Filo pastry
5oz melted butter
4 tablespoons olive oil
6 scallions, chopped
1lb frozen spinach, thawed
12oz plain cottage cheese, drained
1lb good Feta cheese, drained and crumbled
1 tablespoon uncooked long grain rice
Pinch mixed dried herbs or 1 tablespoon fresh herbs of choice, finely chopped
Salt, pepper, grated nutmeg
Sesame seeds
Method
1. Heat a little of the oil and gently fry the chopped scallions until soft. Add the spinach and heat thoroughly.
2. Drain the mixture in a sieve, pressing out as much liquid as possible. Put into a large bowl together with the cheeses, herbs and rice and season to taste with salt, pepper and nutmeg.
3. Combine the melted butter with the rest of the olive oil. Brush the bottom and sides of the cake tin with the mixture.
4. Remove the filo pastry from the pack and cover it with a damp cloth to prevent it from cracking. Then start layering it into the cake tin: place one sheet of pastry in the bottom of the tin, paint it with the oil and butter mixture, place another sheet on top, at a slight angle to the first, paint this and then add another. Continue until you have about 7 or 8 layers of buttered pastry.
5. Pour the cheese and spinach mixture into the pastry case.
6. Fold the edges of the pastry over the mixture then take the extra sheets and place them on the top of the pie, tucking the edges neatly down the side of the pie. Brush each layer with the remaining butter.
7. Take a sharp knife and cut the pie into 8 slices.
8. Sprinkle the top with sesame seeds.
Cook for about 40 minutes on Gas Mark 4/ 180 C (whatever is ‘moderate’ temperature in your oven) until the pastry is crisp and golden. 2-oven Aga cooks – place the grid shelf on the floor of the roasting oven and the cold shelf on the second set of runners. Cook the pie on the grid shelf for about 40 minutes.
The pie will keep well in the fridge or may be frozen, and is good to eat hot or cold.
I am so going to make this! wow, oh wow 🙂 Recently discovered vegetarian shepherd’s pie, so thanks for adding to my winter pie-food repertoire.