I have eaten many a good Spinach and Cheese pie, but this one got an overwhelming thumbs up from everyone who ate it, including myself. I have adapted it from my Greek mother-in-law’s recipe.
Thank you to Tassia for the kick start and inspiring me with her delightful home cooking. How we all miss it!
I had just been shopping at the Hahndorf Fruit and Veg, the best market in the Adelaide Hills. (In my opinion)
Sitting on my kitchen bench were the biggest leeks I ever saw, fat brown onions and a huge bunch of fresh spinach.
They were just begging me to make a big Spanokopita. Everyone’s faces lit up when I said that’s what was being served for tea tonight.
It is such an easy way to create a nutritious dish that even the fussiest of eaters can’t get enough of.
I encourage you to give this recipe a go. It will easily feed 6 – 8 as there are 9 squares once you cut it up in a rectangular dish, sized 40cm x 27cm.
Ingredients
- 3/4 to 1 whole large bunch of fresh spinach (depends on how generous your market bunch is, I used 3/4)
- 1 small leek or 1/2 large leek
- 1 large brown onion
- 2 cups grated cheddar cheese
- 1 Massel vegetarian chicken stock cube
- 1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg
- 1/2 cup double cream
- 6 large eggs + 1 egg for basting
- olive oil
- butter to grease pie dish
- 4 pieces of Puff Pastry ( I used Pampas)
- Pie dish: 40cm x 27cm
Instructions
Step 1
- Remove the puff pastry to thaw out. (If you want to create a pattern with the pastry, include an extra piece.)
- Use butter to grease pie dish or brush olive oil.
- Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees Celcius, fan forced, or 350 Farenheit. Adjust temperature if your oven is not accurate. If your pastry normally comes out looking almost burned after 35-40 minutes at 180, you need to make it 170 for example.
Step 2
- Wash the spinach thoroughly and shake off excess water.
- Dice the stalks first and put aside.
- Chop the brown onion into small pieces.
- Cut the leek in half and then dice.
Step 3
- Heat olive oil in a frying pan and sauté the spinach stalks, onion and leek until tender. Remove from heat.
- Grate the cheddar cheese.
- Chop up the rest of the spinach leaves.
Step 4
- Line your pie dish with two thawed pastry sheets. Cut to fit, blending the pastry together at joins.
- Ensure your pastry goes right over the lip of the dish. There will be some shrinkage in the oven.
- Place in the pre-heated oven for 10 minutes. (This just helps you get a more crispy base)
Step 5
- In a blender, place cream, 6 eggs, stock cube and nutmeg. Blitz until well mixed.
- When your lined pastry is partially cooked, remove from the oven.
- Spread the spinach stalks, leeks and onion over the bottom of your pastry as the first layer.
- Add a layer of chopped spinach and sprinkle half of your grated cheddar over the top.
- Add the rest of the chopped spinach, it will be like a giant mound so just pat it down but don't squash it.
- Add the rest of the grated cheese evenly across the pie.
- Pour the blended eggs, cream and seasoning gently over the entire spinach pile, slowly allowing it to trickle into all the cavities until finished.
Final step
- Place one thawed pastry sheet over the pile of spinach, gently pressing it down a little. It won't stick to the edges of your pre-cooked pastry base at this point, so don't worry just put in position.
- Cut a piece of the last pastry sheet to over-lap the first one enough to create a join. If you are particularly fussy about how it looks, you can always have an extra sheet just for making a pattern which disguises the join.
- Mix up the last egg in a little bowl for basting. Liberally spread the egg over the pastry and let it run into the edges to create a good seal as it cooks. This is how you join the edges when they won't stick.
- Place in the oven on the middle shelf for 35-40 minutes.
When your pie is ready, cut into 9 equal squares. Serve with a salad of Cos Lettuce, 2 Lebanese cucumbers diced, a squeeze of lemon juice, sprinkle of sea salt and a little extra virgin olive oil. Delicious!! This pie is perfect for left-overs the next day, it can be eaten hot or cold. My boys usually add a squirt of tomato sauce with their pie, but it tastes awesome on it's own. Enjoy!
