……scrambled, poached, fried, boiled, coddled, omelettes, souffle, cakes, frittatas, quiche….and the list goes on. I’d love to say I have freshly laid ones from our hen coop in our backyard, however, the slope of our site does not allow for this and our Ridgeback, Jessica would have a field day. It seems to become more common as 3 of my friends and of course, my sister in Israel have gone down this path with great success. I received some fresh eggs the other day and used them in a variation of the Spinach and Feta Pie. Rice has been added for extra carbohydrate, as I have a half marathon looming in two week’s time and I want all the help I can get.
SPINACH RICE & TWO CHEESE PIE
I always use ‘Mersey Valley Vintage Cheddar’ – very crumbly, smooth and intense flavour. Have tried other cheddars, but not as good a result. This recipe makes quite a ‘spinachy’ pie. For a larger pie, increase rice and eggs.
ingredients
2 bunches fresh spinach, finely chopped or 1 block of frozen leaf spinach
½ cup cooked brown rice (or basmati, if you prefer white)
125g fetta, crumbled
125g strong cheddar, crumbled
4 eggs
1 Tbsp fresh dill, chopped (or 2 tsp dried)
1 Tbsp pine nuts (toasted, if prefer)
½ tsp nutmeg
cracked black pepper
sesame seeds (I use a mix of black and white)
6 sheets filo pastry
oil/melted butter
preparation
- Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Lightly grease an oven-proof dish (I use a round, 24cm ceramic one ) with oil.
- Steam spinach and press out excess water, allow to cool slightly, then add rice and season with pepper.
- In a large bowl, combine all other ingredients together and add spinach & rice mixture.
- Line dish with the 6 sheets of filo, alternating each piece in different directions. Brush each with melted butter/oil if wish (I use an extra virgin cold pressed olive oil spray).
- Pour in spinach and egg mixture and spread evenly. Tuck in filo edges and brush with oil/melted butter.
- Sprinkle with sesame seeds and bake in the oven for 30 – 40 minutes or until set and lightly brown on top.
Shared goodness from Donna