Spinach and Cheese pastries {Recipe}

For Melbourne Cup day the staff from The Wine Shop With No Wine got together for a BBQ. In Australia when the invitation says 'please bring a plate' we translate that to mean please bring 2 or 3 plates or at least enough food for 4 people. When 10 people gather and each do that, yep, you've got the maths right- there will be enough food for at least 40. Not to be conquered, one does one's best to eat a bit of everything.

The next day my stomach muscles were hurting- my brain immediately jumped to “woohoo girl, you did some serious sit-ups yesterday” then I remembered I did none. My muscles were hurting from being stretched by a food baby (not to mention wine). Too much information?

By the time I RSVPed a lot of the usual BBQ foods had been claimed. I decided on some spinach and cheese pastries that I whipped up quickly the night before (and some peanut butter choc chip cookies and a bag of chips for good measure:). Super yummy and much healthier than the frozen options I thought I would share the recipe.

You will need

3 shallots chopped

1-2 chillis (depending on personal taste) finely chopped

5 big handfuls baby spinach finely chopped (or if like me you forgot to buy spinach you can make it extra healthy and use some kale)

200g ricotta crumbled

200g Fetta crumbled

3 eggs

Finely chopped dill to taste (or can substitute mint, dill can be a bit like coriander, people either love it or hate it)

Package filo pastry- I used about 10 sheets

20g butter

Tablespoon of olive oil (plus extra for brushing)

Method

Preheat oven to 200C

Heat butter and oil in a large frypan

Add shallots, chilli and greens and cook until greens slightly wilted. Set aside to cool slightly

In a large bowl lightly beat eggs, crumble in cheeses and add greens and stir gently

For party-sized pastries fold filo sheet in half, cut it in half again.

Place 1 tablespoon of cheese mixture on the pastry. Fold sides over the top and then tuck the ends underneath.

Makes about 20 depending on size.

Bake for 30-40 mins until nicely browned.

If you are making them the day before let them cool on a wire rack then refrigerate. Pop in the oven for 10-20 minutes before serving.

You can make them less healthy by brushing them with lots of melted butter.