I feel I should start this post by way of an apology. It’s an awful photo. I know. It shall be replaced next time I make this pie, and being such a tasty pie as it is this won’t be long. But as time is most definitely in short supply right now I’m going with the shameful shot in order to make another entry to this month’s Four Seasons Food challenge.
I’d also like to take to take the opportunity to offer huge and well deserved congratulations to my friend and partner in foodie crime for the Four Seasons Food challenge, Anneli! If you haven’t already heard she won the glittering Britmum’s Brilliance in Blogging Food award on Friday night for her gorgeous and inspiring Delicieux blog. I believe she’s still getting over the hangover and on her way back to rural SW France as I write. Well done Anneli, so can’t wait to help you celebrate!
So on to the Pie. I’ve been intending to bake this pie for a long long time, and despite the sad photos it was stunningly tasty. And took me right back to many a happy Greek joliday of yonder year. Though also made me a little sad, sad in the sense it was made with shop bought spinach and not Chez Foti spinach which until recently has been growing in huge abundance. As my garden winds up there’s very little greenery out there any more, bar a barrage of weeds and lots of (overgrown) herbs. In case you didn’t know I’m moving back to the UK this summer, back with the littlies to be nearer my family in gorgeous and foodie Herefordshire. Which funnily enough is very similar and gentle countryside to where I live now, minus the Pyrenees obviously!. And one day very soon I’ll be very excited to start another veggie plot on English soil. But more on my new venture in another blog soon.
Anyway, I digress again. Back to the pie, which was a real doddle to make. And makes for a wonderful cold or warm picnic, lunch or dinner munch. Don’t be put off by the filo, it’s so easy to use and very forgiving in any shape or form!. The pie’s assembled in a flash, simply a matter of sweating a little onion and garlic, followed by a seemingly monstrous amount of fresh spinach. A stirring in of lightly beaten eggs flavoured with nutmeg and a little Dijon mustard, pine kernels, parsley and feta. Then spooning into a filo pastry shell, topped with more filo and baked for a mere 30 minutes.
Naturally I shall be entering my picnic-perfect pie to the Four 
Seasons Food challenge, a new monthly event hosted by myself and (award winning!) Anneli at Delicieux. This month Anneli’s hosting and the theme’s aptly Picnics and Outdoor Nibbles. Also to Lavender and Lovage’s Herbs on Saturday event,
Ren Behan‘s Simple and in Season and Javelin Warrior’s Made with Love Mondays.
Spinach & Feta Filo Pie: Spanakopita
Great For: Toddlers & Pre-schoolers (if they’re not green adverse!), Bigger Kids, Grown Ups, Family Dinners, Mid-Week Suppers, Week-end Slowies, Picnics, Nibbles, Mains, Lunches, Dinners, Dinner Parties, Parties, Spinach Growers (sob, sob)
Notes: Substitute fresh spinach for the same weight in frozen spinach which has defrosted (no need to wilt)
Serves: 4-6 large slices
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, medium sized, medium dice
2 garlic cloves, finely sliced
500g fresh spinach, washed & dried and roughly shredded
2 heaped tablespoons chopped parsley
200g Feta cheese, crumbled
50g pine kernels
3 free range eggs
½ teaspoon grated nutmeg
1 heaped teaspoon Dijon mustard
pepper
4 large or 8 small sheets filo pastry
40ml olive oil
Special Equipment: a small ovenproof baking tray, pie dish or tart tin (roughly 20 x 20), round square or oblong! A pastry brush.
1. Pre-heat your oven to 200ºC/Gas 6.
2. Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a large saucepan on a low to medium heat. Gently fry the onion for 5 minutes, before adding the garlic for a further 2 minutes, stirring regularly so nothing catches.
3. With the pan still on the heat stir in the spinach, in batches, until it’s all wilted. It helps to have a saucepan lid. Once wilted take off the heat and set aside.
4. Stir into the spinach the parsley, Feta and pine kernels. Lightly whisk together the eggs with the nutmeg and Dijon mustard. Stir the eggs into the spinach along with a generous pinch or two of black pepper. Ensure everything’s very well combined.
5. Grease your chosen dish or tin liberally with olive oil. Line it with a small sheet of filo pastry or half a large sheet (letting the other half of a larger sheet hang over one side – it will form the top once the filling’s been added). Brush the sheet with olive oil before adding another layer. Continue until you have 4 base layers of filo.
6. Spoon in the spinach mix and evenly spread. Layer 4 small sheets of filo pastry on the top, brushing on oil between each and tucking the edges into the sides to seal the pie. I like to scrunch them up for effect. If using the larger sheets turn them over and scrunch them onto to the top of the pie and tuck into the sides. It might look messy but filo pies are very forgiving!.
7. Brush the top with olive oil if you haven’t already done so. Place in your pre-heated oven for 30 minutes until set, golden and crispy. Turn out of the dish, if you dare, and allow to cool for a few minutes. Lovely warm or cold.
You might also like:
Greek Stylie Pork & Veggie Kebabs
Spinach & Ricotta Cannelloni with Hidden Veggies Tommie Sauce
June 23rd, 2013 at 10:42 pm
The photo is great! —And the pie looks amazing! –Any good Pate recipes?
June 24th, 2013 at 10:53 pm
Thanks John! Sadly no blogged pate recipes, but you’ve made me think maybe there should be! Watch this space….
June 24th, 2013 at 10:55 pm
I have one (duck) I will blog about it, really LOVE your blog! Its just wonderful!
June 24th, 2013 at 11:14 pm
Oh lovely, duck pate! Please do blog it….
June 23rd, 2013 at 10:47 pm
If you want to see dreadful food photos, you know where my blog is! 😉 Have very happy memories of three weeks travelling round the Greek islands with my big sister, where the only thing we could afford to eat was Spanakopita – not a bad way to live. Yum.
June 24th, 2013 at 10:57 pm
I seem to remember gorging on the lovely stuff on many a happy holiday…. I was also a veggie back then and it must have been a safe bet alternative to all the greek salad and chips!
June 23rd, 2013 at 10:49 pm
Yum. My mother-in-law has tons of spinach in her allotment at the moment, I’ll have to pass on this recipe, looks great!
June 24th, 2013 at 10:58 pm
Oh please do! Has to be up there as a Top 5 way to eat spinach 🙂
June 23rd, 2013 at 10:57 pm
Congrats to Anneli – what an achievement! And I’ve always wanted to try Spanakopita but never have. Yours looks delicious and the pictures aren’t bad at all! I hope your move back to the UK goes well and it sounds like you’re excited about it, so that’s good…
June 24th, 2013 at 11:00 pm
Thanks JW! It’s a great (and easy to make) pie, you MUST try it! Yep, exciting move and exciting new venture/adventure :))
June 24th, 2013 at 1:02 am
Your photo’s look really great to me, the pie sounds absolutely divine. I have never made Spanakopita before, but I certainly do love to eat it!!
June 24th, 2013 at 11:02 pm
Thanks! Well I think everyone’s being very kind on the photo front. I’m still deeply ashamed!! Such a cinch of a pie to make….
June 24th, 2013 at 12:59 pm
Your pie looks and sounds lovely & I now feel I should apologise every time I write a post as my photos are always awful. I feel sad about your garden myself! I loved seeing your gluts of tomatoes and squash, I bet it’s a wrench to leave Pyrenees. But how lovely to be nearer your family & I really love Herefordshire – such an amazing foodie area too, I love visiting there lots.
June 24th, 2013 at 11:08 pm
Your photos are soooooo not awful!!!!! Thanks for all your lovely words. I’m actually really looking forward to trying my hand at growing on English soil (for the first time!) but I doubt I’ll experience quite the same gluts as in the hot sunshiny south of France. But hey can’t have everything! What do you think may grow if planted in very early August?
June 24th, 2013 at 11:19 pm
I reckon winter hardy salads in August – land cress & red mustards (mine are only just going to seed from last year and even the flowers are tasty now) and chop suey/chrysanthemum greens are great for winter planting, they have pretty flowers, grow easily & you can eat the leaves as greens. How exciting to be starting a new garden…
June 24th, 2013 at 11:23 pm
Oh lovely, thanks for the advice! It’s just a very small patch of the garden for now, but should keep mine and the kids interest going. Can’t imagine not growing, all a bit addictive isn’t it?!
June 24th, 2013 at 1:45 pm
I’m going to have to agree with everyone else on this – the photo is good and has me craving a slice of your spinach and feta pie! Hope your move goes smoothly… if I can help out with any plants once you get your new garden, please let me know.
June 24th, 2013 at 11:12 pm
Oh thank you so much Sarah! All being well planning to move at the end of July, any ideas of what could be sown in early August? I have a little patch already lined up, would be a shame not to use it until next year
June 24th, 2013 at 9:35 pm
Honey – your photo is lovely! I would most certainly eat your pie!! Thank you so much for your kind words and all the support and friendship you give me xx I am indeed now back, tired and just about over my hangover! But my goodness, what fun I have had 🙂 Tell you all about it soon I hope. Big love xxx
June 24th, 2013 at 11:26 pm
Back to earth with a bump eh! Can’t wait to hear all about the adventure. And see your epic Four Seasons Food round-up!!!
June 25th, 2013 at 10:43 pm
I love this pie and made something similar with all of my perpetual spinach at the allotment. Your flavours here are so good and I am sure that pastry is as crisp as it looks ,,,,,,,,perfect!
June 29th, 2013 at 5:05 am
Well, I ended up making a duck country pate yesterday, I posted a preview of it on my blog, I am pressing it and letting it age for a few days. I took many photos of the process of making it and I will post the photos and recipe this coming week. 🙂 John
July 1st, 2013 at 10:41 am
Oh I saw the photos, look magnificent and bet it tastes equally as good. Happy days at your house!
June 29th, 2013 at 6:52 pm
One of my favourite pies, and often made when I am at my parents, as they are veggies! Lovely thanks Louisa! Karen
June 30th, 2013 at 1:52 pm
It’s a fab veggie pie isn’t it? Really must MUST make it again soon and get some half decent photos though!
June 29th, 2013 at 7:50 pm
[…] from Chez Foti: Spanakopita – Another stunning entry from Chez Foti, and one of my favourite pies […]
July 12th, 2013 at 7:18 pm
[…] 34. A savoury entry from Louisa at Chez Foti who made a Spinach and Feta Filo Pie. […]