This dish is so popular with friends and family when I serve it. I made it for a NYE dinner party recently and it was a great success. It’s actually easy to make but looks impressive and is not often served. I even had a Greek friend over at the dinner who said it was the best spanakopita she’s had! And that’s saying something when it’s a National Greek dish.
Even if you’re not a vegetarian, you will love it! It’s light, healthy and contains the essential protein, complex carbohydrates and healthy fats we all need. One of the main ingredients is Silverbeet, also called Chard in the Mediterranean which has an earthy flavour. Both the leaves and stalks are edible, although I choose to remove the stalks from this dish. Make sure you buy silverbeet with firm glossy leaves and store in a plastic bag in the crisper of the fridge for up to 3 days only.
Like many leafy green vegetables, Silverbeet are rich in a dazzling array of minerals. Chard has high levels of magnesium, calcium, vitamin K, iron, potassium, vitamin A. Compared to traditional Spanakopita which uses alot of cheese, I like to substitute some of the cheese with Silken Tofu. Tofu is a good source of protein and contains all eight essential amino acids. It is also an excellent source of iron and calcium and the minerals manganese, selenium and phosphorous. In addition, tofu is a good source of magnesium, copper, zinc and vitamin B1. Tofu is an excellent food from a nutritional and health perspective. It is thought to provide the same sort of protection against cancer and heart disease as soya beans.
For Low FODMAP diets like mine, I don’t use garlic or onion in this recipe but you can add them if you wish. Typically 1 clove of garlic crushed and 1/2 brown onion finely chopped is all you need if you want to add these flavours. Ensure you pan until softened and add to silverbeet mixture below.
Ingredients:
1 bunch silverbeet white stems removed coarsely cut 400g Coles Fresh Light Ricotta (low fat) 100g South Cape Crumbled Fetta 1/4 cup Millel finely grated parmesan 1 packet Silken Tofu 4 Eggs lightly whisked 1 tablespoon fresh chopped dill (optional) Finely grated Lemon Zest (rind) of 2 lemons Antoniou Filo Pastry Olive Oil Spray
Directions: 1. Preheat oven 180 degrees celcius. Lightly spray a oven safe flat dish with olive oil 2. Wilt silverbeet in the microwave for approx 2 mins and leave to cool 3. In a large bowl combine cooled siverbeet, silken tofu, ricotta, fetta, parmesan, whisked eggs, dill and lemon zest (rind) 4. Place Filo on clean bench. Take 1 sheet of Filo and lay in oven dish leaving sides to overhang. Lightly spray with olive oil and place another Filo sheet on top and spray with olive oil spray. Do this 6 times with 6 sheets of Filo. 5. Spoon silverbeet tofu cheese mixture over Filo 6. Top with 6 more sheets of Filo sprayed with Olive Oil spray as you did in step 4 7. Trim Filo edges and fold over the top to enclose. Spray with Olive oil spray on edges and score the top with a knife diagonally. 8. Bake in the oven at 180 degrees for 35 mins or until golden brown. Serve with salad. I serve mine with a greek salad and a rocket, pine nut, roasted pumpkin, fetta and beetroot salad as pictured.
Enjoy!
Suzanne The Lifestylist