SILVERBEET & FETA FILO TRIANGLES

October 20th, 2021

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Silverbeet is a mainstay in our meals throughout spring. I know it can get a bad rap but personally, I prefer it to spinach as it goes further, and paired with feta and flakey pastry you can’t go wrong. Of course, feel free to use spinach or a mixture of both in this recipe.

In fact, why stop at these ubiquitous greens. You can also use tender broccoli and cauliflower plant leaves, kale that is going to seed, and even broad bean shoots and leaves. The shoots are the very top of the broad bean plant, pinching these off will slow the upward growth so the plant can put energy into the bean pods (bonus!).

And if you are an edible weed forager you could also add some dandelion and/or puha which I am finding in pockets around my (wild) spring garden – although not too much as they are bitter (a handful will be enough). Wander your garden (if you have one ) or maybe a Farmers’ Market with a basket and see what wonderful spring greens take your fancy. The quantity of silverbeet below can be a combination of all these suggestions.

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Silverbeet & Feta Filo Triangles

These filo parcels remind me of my first chef job where I was responsible for making a large batch with various fillings for the lunch rush. The key is to be well set up, so you can get into a rhythm with brushing and folding the parcels ready to bake.

Servings 4

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 40 minutes mins

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium leek (300g), thinly sliced
• 500 g bunch of silverbeet
• salt and cracked pepper
• 1 egg
• 200 g feta, crumbled
• sprig of rosemary, chopped
• 1 tsp dried dill or oregano
• 375 g packet filo sheets
• 60 g butter
• 3 tbsp oil
• sesame seeds for sprinkling

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 190ºC (fan bake 170ºC)
• Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a moderate heat. Add the leek and sauté gently for 5-6 minutes, until softened. Wash the silverbeet, shake well to remove excess water and finely chop along with the stalks. Add to the pan and cover. Steam for 5-8 minutes, until the greens are wilted, then remove the lid and continue to stir over the heat (turn it up, if needed), until the moisture has evaporated. Scoop into a bowl to cool.
• Combine the egg, feta and herbs in a bowl. Add to the silverbeet and mix well.
• Unroll the filo and cover it with a slightly damp tea towel to prevent it from drying out. Melt the butter and oil together in a small saucepan.
• Lay two sheets of filo onto the bench with the short side closest. Brush generously with the butter. Spoon a heaped tablespoon of the silverbeet mixture onto the bottom left corner of the pastry, then fold over the long edge from right to left to cover the mixture. Brush the pastry again with butter. Fold the bottom left corner over to meet the folded edge making a triangle shape. Continue to fold left to right in this triangle shape until the pastry is all used.
• Place onto a baking tray, brush again, and scatter with sesame seeds. Repeat with the remaining filo sheets and filling. Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden. Serve with dill-spiked yoghurt and herbed quinoa salad.