Asparagus And Feta Pies Food

ROASTED ASPARAGUS WITH FETA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400F.
• Heat olive oil, minced garlic, lemon zest, oregano, and red pepper flakes in a small pan over low heat until garlic becomes golden and oil becomes fragrant; remove from heat and allow to cool.
• Bend asparagus gently until it breaks at a natural point and discard ends.
• Toss asparagus pieces with infused olive oil and place in a single layer on a baking sheet (one with a side edge).
• Season asparagus with salt and pepper.
• Sprinkle asparagus with crumbled feta cheese.
• Roast at 400F for 12 minutes or until cooked to your liking.
• Sprinkle with chopped parsley and squeeze the lemons over the asparagus, being careful to catch the seeds.
• Serve hot.

SUMMER HERB & FETA PIES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Remove any thick stalks from the watercress, then chop the rest and put in a food processor with the herbs and spring onions. Blitz for a few secs, then add the eggs, nutmeg and some seasoning, and blitz again briefly - you don't want too fine a chop. Tip the mixture into a bowl and stir in the feta and artichokes.
• Melt the butter and unwrap the filo sheets. Cut them into 12-13cm squares through the layers - you may have too much pastry but the leftovers can be re-wrapped and saved for another recipe . Stack 4 squares of pastry on top of each other, brushing lightly with butter as you go, offsetting each square to get a star shape all round the edge. Continue until you have 8 stacks.
• Press each stack into a deep-hole muffin tin and fill with the feta mixture. Fold over the pastry to enclose the filling, pinching it together. Brush the tops with the remaining butter and sprinkle with Parmesan. Bake for 25 mins until the pastry is golden and crisp. Leave to cool for a few mins, then remove the tins and cool completely on a wire rack. Pack into a plastic container to take to the picnic and serve with a tomato salad, if you like.

ASPARAGUS, CHILLI & FETA FARFALLE

Steps:

• Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil. Tip in the pasta and cook for 1 min less than pack instructions.
• Meanwhile, heat the oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. Stir in the garlic, chilli and a pinch of salt, and fry for 1 min until fragrant. Add the asparagus and lemon zest, and cook for 4-5 mins until the asparagus is just tender.
• Drain the pasta and tip into the asparagus pan. Add the lemon juice, stir through the basil, grind over some black pepper, then divide between bowls. Top with the pine nuts, feta and a drizzle of oil to serve.

ROASTED ASPARAGUS WITH FETA CHEESE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
• Divide and toss the asparagus with the olive oil, salt, and pepper, and arrange in a single layer on 2 to 3 separate large rimmed baking sheets.
• Place in the oven and roast until the spears are tender and the tips are turning golden and slightly charred, 10 to 12 minutes.
• Prepare the vinaigrette while the asparagus is roasting. To a bowl, add the Dijon mustard, vinegar, salt, and pepper. Whisk in the olive oil to emulsify. Taste for seasoning and adjust, if necessary.
• Remove the asparagus from the oven and place on a serving platter. Drizzle with the vinaigrette and sprinkle with the feta cheese. Serve warm or at room temperature.

ASPARAGUS AND FETA PIES

Steps:

• Roll out pastry to 3mm thick and cut out 4 10cm rounds and 4 15cm rounds.
• Place larger pastry rounds on a lightly greased baking tray and place remaining rounds on a tray lined with food plastic wrap, cover and refrigerate pastry for 15 mins or until ready to make the pies.
• To make the filling, combine the asparagus, sun dried tomatoes, feta cheese, basil, lemon rind and black pepper to taste.
• Divide the filling between the larger pastry rounds leaving a 1cm border around the edge.
• Brush edge with egg and cover with smaller pastry rounds.
• Press edges together to seal, brush tops of pies with egg and cut a few small holes in the tops.
• Bake for 25 minutes in a 190 C oven or until pastry is golden and crisp.

ASPARAGUS, FETA & PUMPKIN SEED SALAD

Steps:

• Wash, pick over, dry and tear up the lettuce.
• Trim the asparagus, and steam it.
• As soon as it is cooked, plunge it into cold water to stop it from cooking any further.
• When it is cool, drain well and cut it into inch long pieces.
• Toast the pumpkin seeds in a dry skillet over medium heat, stirring frequently, until they"pop" and turn light brown.
• Turn them out at once to cool on a plate.
• Cut the feta cheese into 1 cm cubes.
• Mix the oil, vinegar, tamari or soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, pepper, cumin and celery seed.
• Arrange the lettuce in a salad bowl, with the asparagus, cheese, and pumpkin seeds over it, and drizzle the dressing over the salad immediately before serving.