FATS
MAKES 12 PARCELS
• 200g spinach leaves
• 100g feta
• 2 spring onions, finely sliced
• 1 tsp dried or fresh oregano
• 1 tsp dried or fresh basil
• Salt and pepper
• 3 sheets of filo pastry
• Olive oil
For the tzatziki
• 80g cucumber
• 1 garlic clove
• 1 tbsp fresh or 1 tsp dried mint leaves
• 200g plain yoghurt
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
This chapter has essentially turned into an ode to cheese, which is perfectly fine by me. After all, pretty much all Mediterranean cultures eat cheese. These bite-sized parcels are quick, simple and delicious!
Preheat the oven to 200 fan/220°C conventional/gas mark 6.
Chop the spinach and wilt it slightly in a large saucepan with a little bit of water. Remove any excess water.
Crumble the feta into a bowl. Add the spring onions, wilted spinach, oregano and basil. Season with salt and pepper.
Cut a sheet of filo pastry in half, then in half again. You should have four strips, each of which needs to be folded in half to make four squares. Brush each pastry square with olive oil on both sides.
Place a heaped tablespoon of the feta mixture on the centre of each pastry square. Take the corners and scrunch up in the middle, then place on a lined baking tray. Repeat this for each of the four squares. Repeat steps 3–4 for the other two sheets.
Bake the parcels in the oven for 12 minutes. In the meantime, make the tzatziki: grate the cucumber, peel and crush the garlic and finely chop the mint. Mix together the yoghurt, cucumber, lemon juice, garlic and chopped mint. Season with salt and pepper.
When the filo parcels are ready, serve with the tzatziki.