Σεσκουλοπρασόπιτα

Another day, another variant on χορτόπιτα and σπανακόπιτα. But this version is certainly not suitable for Lent due to the animal products.

Ingredients

Half bunch silverbeet

1 leek

2 spring onions

2 cloves garlic

1 tsp Sambal oelek

180 gr ricotta

80 gr fetta

18 gr dill

1 egg

Parmesan

Phyllo

Olive oil

Poppyseed

Mode

Preheat the oven to 180c
Roughly chop the silverbeet, discarding the thick stalks
Clean and slice the spring onions 
Place the vegetables in a steamer 
Peel and crush the garlic and add
Add Sambal oelek
Steam on the stovetop until soft, stirring occasionally
Meanwhile place the ricotta in a bowl
Crumble the fetta by hand on top
Add the egg and stir to combine

Chop the dill roughly, discarding thick stalks and add to cheese mixture

When the vegetables are cooked, add to the mixture and combine well
Using a pastry brush and olive oil line the bottom of a baking dish with about six layers of phyllo, taking care to oil well between each layer
Add the cheese and vegetable mixture to the phyllo
Fold the phyllo over the mixture and cover with several layers of phyllo brushing with oil between each layer
Fold in the edges and oil the top layer
Sprinkle with poppyseeds
With a sharp knife cut the top of the pie into desired portions. DO NOT cut through the bottom of the pie
Cook for 45 minutes in 180c oven until top is crisp and golden
Leave to rest for 2-3 minutes after cooking
Then with a sharp knife cut the portions through to the bottom of the pie.

Eggplant parmigiana with ricotta

A couple of years ago I experimented with eggplant parmigiana after a visit to an Italian cafe with my friend Letizia. This is a variant on that recipe substituting fresh coriander for dried thyme and with the addition of a layer of ricotta. If I may say so myself, I found the end result delicious with the coriander adding especially to the enjoyment. 

Ingredients

1 eggplant

1 can diced tomatoes

Half a bunch of fresh coriander

2 tbs tomato paste

2 cloves garlic

2 tsp chopped garlic root

180 gr ricotta

Olive oil

Parmesan

Mode

Preheat the oven to 180c

Slice the eggplant lengthwise as shown in photo
Place the canned tomatoes in a saucepan on a fairly high flame
Add the tomato paste and stir to combine
Crush the garlic and ginger and add
Chop the coriander and add
Stir to combine 
Bring tomato mixture to the boil and simmer to thicken
Meanwhile heat olive oil in a frying-pan
Fry the eggplant slices turning regularly
Place half the eggplant slices on the bottom of baking dish
Cover with half of the tomato sauce

Spoon on the ricotta
Sprinkle with grated Parmesan
Place the remaining half of the eggplant on top
Cover with the rest of the tomato sauce
Sprinkle with grated Parmesan
Bake in the oven for 45 minutes.

Χορτόπιτα με φέτα

Καθαρά Δευτέρα and Orthodox Lent came with the kites, though limited in number by Covid. I saw feasts of Lenten foods prepared by Greek friends and suddenly I wanted χορτόπιτα! A trip to the greengrocer provided lots of choice: leeks, endive, chicory, dill, coriander. So I made a pie from leek, spring onions, endive and coriander, and at the last minute crumbled in a little feta. I am not sure about the quantities: I just squeezed a batch of greens into my steamer and had enough for a medium-sized pie dish with four serves. The pie was delicious. And soon I will make another with the chicory .

Ingredients

2 spring onions

1 leek

4 cloves garlic

Half a bunch of endive 

Bunch of coriander

80 gr fetta

Phyllo

Olive oil 

Poppyseed

Mode

Preheat the oven to 180c

Put the steamer on the stovetop to bring to boil

Slice the spring onions and leek

Roughly chop the endive and coriander

Add the greens to the top of the steamer

Crush the garlic and add to the greens

Steam until tender

Meanwhile place five sheets of phyllo in the baking dish, basting each sheet with olive oil

Spoon the vegetables on the phyllo and smooth

Crumble fetta over the vegetables

Fold the ends of pastry over the vegetables basting as you go

Cover top of pie with an extra sheet or two of phyllo basted with oil

Sprinkle poppyseed on top

With a sharp knife cut the top layers of pastry into serving pieces

Bake in 180c oven for 45 minutes.

Chicken & coriander pesto meatballs in tomato sauce

After a year when I seem to have been eating nothing but pies and other carbs, now I am trying to get over all that comfort food. When I was food shopping today, masked up at Piedimonte’s, minced chicken caught my eye. Mmm chicken meatballs. The other ingredients were what happened to catch my eye in the pantry and refrigerator when I was wondering what to cook this evening.

I used a ready made and purchased coriander pesto (yum) and a ready made tomato sauce (Five Brothers Tomato and basil sauce) but you could be more creative and make your own!

Ingredients

500 gr minced chicken

2tbs coriander pesto

2 cloves garlic

2 tsp minced ginger root

2 spring onions

Olive oil

500 gr ready made tomato sauce

Mode

Place minced chicken in mixing bowl

Crush garlic and add

Add ginger and coriander pesto

Chop spring onions and add

Stir until thoroughly mixed

Using a tablespoon  spoon form in into meatballs

Finalize shape with hand and place on plate

Meanwhile place the tomato sauce in a pan on heat 

Fill bottle with water, shake to clear jar

Add to pan and stir

Bring to boil and reduce to simmer

Heat olive oil in frying pan

Add meatballs in batches and cook to seal 

Add to tomato sauce as sealed

Cover and simmer for about 30 minutes

Eat alone if avoiding carbs or otherwise serve with rice, pasta or noodles. 

Enjoy!!

Tasmanian salmon with coriander pesto and lentils

After a 2020 Covid year of cooking pies and feeling rather plump, I felt January 2021 was the time to try cooking something with a little less in the way of carbs. This salmon dish is cooked in the oven under foil, regrettably without a whiff of puff pastry, but delicious for all that. Enjoy!

Ingredients 

200 gr Tasmanian salmon

400 gr canned lentils

2 spring onions

1/4 red capsicum

1 tbs coriander pesto

2 cloves garlic

2 tsp crushed ginger root

Mode

Preheat the oven to 180c

Chop spring onion and capsicum

Crush garlic and ginger

Open lentils and drain

Place as base in oven dish

Add salmon

Coat with coriander pesto

Top with spring onion, capsicum, garlic and ginger

Cover with foil

Bake in 180c oven for 45 minutes

Spanish style pasta sauce

 A couple of weeks ago when we were first allowed to meet people from another household in the open, I met my friends Penny and Mark in the rotunda at Darling Gardens one afternoon.  They very kindly brought me some garden produce, including silverbeet and coriander. When I was wondering what to cook the next evening I remembered a recipe I sometimes cook with sherry, mushrooms and pinenuts. Its origins are a bit obscured by the passing of time but my memory is that it was originally based on a tapas recipe that I read in a library book. Sometimes I cook it with ham but this time I added coriander, silverbeet and some chicken that I happened to have. As it was once a tapas you could eat it as such or by itself, but I had it with some pasta!  The serving is enough for one person.

Ingredients

1 leaf silverbeet

5 mushrooms

1 handful of pine nuts

1 clove garlic

1 stem coriander

1 spring onion

100 gr chicken cut for stirfry

1 sherry glass dry sherry

Olive oil

Mode

Heat some olive oil in a pan on the stovetop

Crush the garlic

Slice the spring onion

Add the garlic and spring onion to the oil and stir until covered

Slice the mushrooms and add

Chop the coriander and add

Add the pine nuts

All the while continue to stir

Add the sherry and stir

Chop the silverbeet including the stems

Add the silverbeet and the chicken to the mixture

Continue to stir until the chicken is sealed

Turn the heat down to a simmer

Cover and summer until the chicken is tender

Serve with rice, pasta or noodles.

Rainbow σεσκουλόπιτα

Μιαμ μιαμ! I haven't used rainbow silverbeet to make σεσκουλόπιτα before. However, when I saw it in the supermarket yesterday while shopping for food to cook for some friends who had been in an accident, I thought I would get it and experiment. It was delicious and I will use it was an ingredient again.  I haven't heard the verdict of my friends yet, but I enjoyed it.

With these ingredients you could make make one large pie.  I made a medium size and a small to accommodate for the two households.

Ingredients

1 bunch rainbow silverbeet (including stalks)

4 spring onions

2 garlic cloves

1 tsp Sambal oelek

3 tsp crushed ginger root

400 gr ricotta

150 gr fetta

1 egg

Phyllo pastry

Olive oil

Poppyseeds 

Mode

Place a steamer on the stove and bring water to the boil

Turn on oven to preheat to 180c

Meanwhile roughly chop the rainbow silverbeet including coloured stalks

Add to steamer

Chop spring onions and add to steamer

Crush garlic and add to steamer

Crush ginger root and add to steamer

Add Sambal oelek

Steam until vegetables tender

Meanwhile place ricotta in mixing bowl

Crumble fetta and add

Add egg

Add steamed vegetables

Stir to mix completely

Place one sheet of phyllo on the base of the oven dish

Baste with olive oil

Repeat the process 5-6 times

Spoon the mixture on the phyllo and smooth 

Fold the ends of pastry over the vegetables and cheese basting as you go

Cover top with an extra sheet or two of phyllo basted with oil

Sprinkle poppyseed on top

Cook in 180c oven for 45 minutes