Spinach And Ricotta Filo Baskets Food

RICOTTA & SPINACH FILO BITES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Line two baking sheets with baking parchment. Heat the oil in a pan, then cook the spring onions for 1-2 mins until softened. Add the spinach and cook for a few mins more until any liquid has evaporated. Remove from heat.
• Pat the feta dry with kitchen paper, then crumble it finely into a large bowl. Add the ricotta, dill and season with pepper. Taste, then add a little salt if needed. Add the eggs and spinach mixture, then mix well.
• Unfold the filo and cut into three pieces lengthwise, cutting through all of the sheets at once. Take out 3 sheets and wrap the remainder tightly to prevent them from drying out. Brush the 3 strips lightly with melted butter. Fold in half lengthwise so they are half the length, then brush again with butter. Place 1 tsp of the mixture on the end of each strip, fold a little pastry over the filling, then fold in the edges. Loosely roll to form a cigar. Place on the baking sheets, a little apart, then finish making the rest. Can be frozen in a large plastic container for up to 3 months.
• Brush the tops with butter, then bake for 15-18 mins until lightly golden and crisp.

SPINACH AND RICOTTA FILO BASKETS

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a pan and gently fry the onion for 10min until softened. Add the garlic and cook for a further 1min. Set aside to cool.
• Meanwhile, wash the spinach and discard any large stalks. Put a large pan over a medium heat and add the spinach. Season. Cover and cook for 2-3min until wilted. Drain. When cool enough to handle, squeeze to remove any excess liquid.
• In a bowl, beat together the eggs, ricotta and milk. Chop the spinach and stir into the ricotta, along with the onion mixture and nutmeg.
• Preheat oven to 200ºC (180ºC fan) mark 6 and preheat a baking sheet. Lightly grease 10 holes of a 12-hole muffin tin. Unroll filo pastry and keep covered with a clean, damp tea towel. Cut the filo into 15cm (6in) squares - big enough to line the holes of the muffin tin with a bit of an overlap. Brush the squares with olive oil. Lay one square on top of another at a 45° angle so the points are offset. Then add a third square, offsetting the points to fall between those of the first two squares so you end up with a star shape. Push the layered squares into one of the muffin-tin holes. Repeat with the remaining filo to make 10 baskets. Brush edges with oil.
• Mix together the pine nuts, Parmesan and parsley. Divide the ricotta mixture among the filo baskets and top with the pine nut mixture. Bake in the muffin tin on the preheated baking sheet for 7-8min until golden. Gently remove the baskets from the muffin tin and cook directly on the baking sheet for a further 5min to crisp up the bases. To serve: if frozen, thaw overnight in the fridge. Preheat the oven to 200ºC (180ºC fan) mark 6 and warm the filo baskets on a preheated baking sheet for 5min until crisp.

SPINACH AND RICOTTA FILO PIE

Steps:

• Heat a spray of oil in a large pan and fry the onion and garlic for 10 minutes until soft but not coloured. Add the spinach and cook for 5 minutes, stirring and bubbling off any liquid. Tip into a sieve and press to remove as much excess liquid as possible. Cool.
• Beat the egg with the ricotta and nutmeg and season. Stir in the feta with the spinach and onion. Heat the oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6.
• Spray a 20cm loose-based cake tin with a little oil. Line it with the filo sheets, leaving any excess pastry hanging over the edge and spraying each sheet with oil. Spoon the cheese and spinach mixture into the tin. Fold the overhanging the pastry up and over the top of the pie (you can freeze the pie at this point if you like, cook it from frozen and make sure the centre is piping hot). Spray the top generously with oil. Bake for 25-30 minutes until or until the pastry is golden brown and crisp. Serve warm or cold.

SPINACH & RICOTTA SLICE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Melt half the butter with the oil in a sauté pan. Add the onion and cook for 10 mins until softened. Remove to a bowl.
• Add a few handfuls of spinach to the pan and cook for a few mins until it has wilted down. Remove from the heat and drain in a colander. Repeat until all the spinach is cooked. Press with the back of a spoon to remove any excess liquid. Now roughly chop and tip into the bowl with the onion. Stir in the nutmeg, ricotta, egg yolks, Parmesan and some seasoning and mix well.
• Roll out one pack of pastry on a lightly floured surface to a 25 x 30cm rectangle, then lay on a large baking sheet. With the longest side facing you, pack the spinach mixture down the middle of the pastry, leaving a 5cm border all the way around. Brush the pastry all the way round with some beaten egg.
• Roll out the second pack of pastry to a rectangle slightly larger than the first. Drape over the top and gently press down the edges to seal both pastry layers together. Trim the edges to neaten and crimp with your fingers, or seal down with a fork.
• Brush all over with beaten egg and, if you like, lightly score the pastry with the back of a knife in a criss-cross fashion, making sure you don't cut all the way through. Bake for 40 mins. Leave to rest for 10 mins before serving.