This low fat Spanakopita recipe is one of my favourites from my Love Lunch cooking classes.
My Love Lunch cooking course is specially designed for the health minded, environmentally aware, weight conscious people, with very discerning taste buds. All the recipes are organic, sustainable, low fat, dairy-free, gluten-free and meat-free for people like me – conscientious consumers!
Cooking for me is like art: therapeutic, beautiful, inspiring and fun. It has to be one of my greatest joys in life… well, cooking and eating.
As you can see from this healthy Greek recipe, I love nothing more than playing with the textures, colours, and most of all the divine tastes and aromas of beautiful organic, fresh produce. Bon appetite!
Low Fat Spanakopita Recipe
Serves 6
Ingredients:
• 1 large bunch silverbeet, washed well and finely chopped
• 1 bunch English spinach, washed and chopped (or 2 blocks frozen, defrosted and drained well)
• 1/3 cup finely chopped flat leaf parsley leaves
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh dill leaves
• 2 brown onions, finely diced
• 3 cloves garlic peeled and finely chopped
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp ground oregano
• Pinch of cayenne pepper
• Pinch of dried chilli flakes
• Pinch of paprika
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1kg low-fat fresh goat’s ricotta (or low fat cows’ cheese if you’re not dairy free)
• 250g goat’s or sheep’s fetta, drained and crumbed
• 1 organic free-range egg
• 1 1/2 sheets dairy free puff pastry*
• Spray oil, to line baking tray
How to:
Pre-heat oven on high
Spray baking tray with oil and line with pastry. Put in fridge whilst prepping the filling.
In a deep frying pan on med-high heat, add olive oil and cook onions until translucent (approximately 3 mins). Add garlic and cook for a further minute, stirring well. Watch garlic carefully as over-cooking garlic causes it to go bitter.
Add silverbeet and cook for a further 2 mins, stirring well. Add English spinach and cook for a further 2 mins, stirring well, then drain any excess liquids.
Add chilli flakes and ground oregano and cook for another 2 mins, until spinach is wilted. Turn off heat and set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk the egg.
Add ricotta and stir well.
Add nutmeg, paprika, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper and mix well.
Add fetta and spinach mixture (drain the spinach of excess liquids again if need be before adding, you don’t want too much liquid or the pastry will go soggy).
Add parsley and dill, mix well, then pile the whole mixture into the pastry lined tray. Pat down so the mixture is even and flat. Place tray in pre-heated oven and cook through until golden brown on top, approximately 1 hour.
When cooked, remove from oven and leave to set for about 10 mins.
To serve:
Slice the spanakopita and serve each slice with a wedge of lemon (squeeze over the slice just before devouring!)
Great accompanied with a garden salad and dressing, and lots of love, as always. x
* Recipe Notes:
Pastry: I make a gluten- and dairy-free puff pastry, but any sheet puff pastry will do if you don’t have the inclination to make your own.
The Carousel would like to thank Annalise Braakensiek for her delicious recipe.
