Spanikopita #StudentsCanCook

 Welcome World

Spanikopita, or as we call it at home Greek pie, is made with spinach and soft cheese. It’s a big hit in my student house as we can feel healthy whilst still eating pastry, a win win by any account. Its also pretty quick and easy to make and is just as good cold for lunch the next day as when its just come out of the oven. The whole thing only takes about half an hour and 20 minutes of that is oven time!

All you need in terms of equipment is a saucepan, a cake tin, though anything of about the same size works as long as it’s over safe, and a large bowl.

Ingredients:                

·         500g of spinach

·         250g of ricotta cheese, though most soft cheeses will work

·         1 large egg

·         2 cloves of garlic

·         ½ a pack of feta cheese (optional but I like the saltiness and texture it adds)

·         3 sheets of filo pastry

·         Melted butter, enough to brush over the top of the pie to help it crisp

·         Salt and pepper

·         Nutmeg

1.       Stick you oven on to about 180 before you start so it’s ready to stick your pie in.

2.       Either finely chop or crush your garlic and put it in a sauce pan with some butter and let the butter melt, make sure your garlic doesn’t burn because it’ll go bitter. Stick your spinach into the pan with the butter and garlic and pop the lid on stirring every now and again until your spinach has wilted, you might need to add the spinach gradually as it’s a pretty big bag but when wilted is next to nothing. Once its wilted pour the spinach into a sieve and let the excess liquid drain out, if you don’t it will make your pastry soggy and the pie will tear.

3.       While your spinach strains put your soft cheese in a large bowl with the broken up feta and the egg. Season generously with salt and pepper, add the nutmeg is you’re using it, and mix. Taste and adjust the seasoning to taste.

4.       Once you’re spinach has cooled enough to touch squeeze out any excess moisture and chop it up small with a pair of scissors. Mixed the cooled spinach into the cheese mixture and put it to one side.

5.       In a plastic jug put a small amount of butter, a tea spoon is normally about right, a melt it in the microwave. Take your filo pastry and layer it inside the cake tin making sure it is at least 3 layers thick on the bottom and there is enough left over either side to fold up over the filling. I put it in in alternating directions. Fill the tin with your spinach and cheese mixture and fold up the edges of the pastry to cover. Lightly brush the top of the pastry in the melted butter and stick your parcel in the over.

6.       In my over it takes about 20-25 minutes but it will vary depending on your over so keep an eye on it. When the pastry is golden brown and crisp then it’s ready.

I like to eat it with a plate of salad with a lemon and garlic dressing. It’s the perfect summer lunch but also makes an excellent quick dinner when you’re pressed for time or just generally lacking inspiration.

Kitchen Cupboard Essentials #StudentsCanCook

Welcome World

 Before I start posting recipes for people to try I thought it could be worth putting together a list of kitchen cupboard essentials.

Whilst everyone has different ideas of what is essential for cooking these are things that I like to make sure I always have in. They’re all things that keep for ages and you only use a little bit of at a time. When first stocking your cupboard it can feel like a bit of an investment but on the whole they’re not things you’ll need to replace all that often but will use a lot. 

Herbs and Spices

While my spice draw is by many accounts a little excessive there are a few things which are entirely essential and I use all the time

·         Chilli powder – I tend to have hot chilli powder but it’s a matter of personal taste and mild chilli powder will work just as well if you’re not a fan of spicy food but still want that little bit of warmth from the chilli

·         Paprika -  I love the warm and slightly spicy taste of paprika as well as its versatility.

·         Turmeric – Turmeric is a key ingredient in lots of curries as well as in quite a few Spanish dishes, its used both for its flavour and its gorgeous colour, but it does stain most things it touches particularly if wet so be careful.

·         Nutmeg – I am a big fan of nutmeg particularly for adding a kick to roasted root vegetables and for adding a bit more depth to creamy sauces.

·         Oregano – The quintessential Italian herb and a brilliant addition to any tomato sauce

·         Cumin – a warm and earthy spice which makes a huge difference in a chilli or lasagne

·         Marjoram – a dried herb used a lot in Italian food it can also be used to make a tea which whilst not the greatest tasting thing in the world works wonders on a soar throat.

Tins and Sauces

Tins and sauces make up a good basic pantry and can form the basis for a lot of meals whilst also being cheap and tasty. But just to be clear when I say tins I mean tinned tomatoes or tinned tuna, not spaghetti hoops or baked beans.

·         Tinned Tomatoes – One of the most versatile and economical of all store cup board ingredients I would recommend going for the ones which are chopped and in juice.

·         Tinned tune – a quick and easy way to make a healthy and substantial lunch.

·         Tinned sweetcorn – sweet and crunchy and can be eaten straight out of the tin

·         Tomato Puree - makes tinned tomatoes even more tomatoey

·         Soya Sauce - A true essential if you want to make almost any Asian inspired dish, I would recommend light Soya as it is more versatile and also if you can I'd get it from an Asian supermarket, its much better value

h     Tinned peaches - I just have a soft spot for them

hThese are the essentials that I've come up with off the top of my head based on the food I cook alot, let me know if you think I've missed anything that should be on here.

Until next time

Ellie x