Spicy Vegetable Pies with Tzatziki
Ingredients
TZATZIKI
250g Greek yoghurt
1 small cucumber, peeled and grated
handful fresh mint leaves, chopped
juice and zest of 1 lemon
salt and freshly ground black pepper
PIES
Handful baby spinach leaves, washed
5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 small aubergine, cut into very thin slices
1 red pepper, roasted, peeled and cut into fine strips
¼ teaspoon ground allspice
½ teaspoon ground coriander
1 tablespoon dried thyme, crumbled
¼ cup finely chopped fresh flat-leafed parsley
¼ cup pine nuts, toasted and chopped
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon sea salt
Description
Exploring the food traditions of Santorini with my English friend Rosemary Barron was a highlight of my travels. These little pies from her book Meze, are a delicious great treat.
Method
Mix all the tzatziki ingredients together and chill for at least an hour.
For the pie filling, put the washed spinach in a heavy pan and cook over a low heat for about two minutes until wilted. Drain very well and coarsely chop. In a large, heavy frying pan, heat three tablespoons of the oil and sauté the aubergine until brown on all sides. Remove with a slotted spoon and place on a paper towel to drain. Add the remaining olive oil to the pan and sauté the leek until soft, and then add the spinach, aubergine and remaining ingredients. Gently stir to mix; taste and season well. Set aside. Preheat oven to 180°C.
To fill the pies, stack the filo sheets on top of each other. Cut into two strips length wise (about twelve centimeters in width), and place under a clean, damp tea-towel. Working with two strips at a time, lightly brush a strip with olive oil and place a second strip on top. Place one twelfth of the filling on the near ends of the strips, then gently take the filo corner nearest to you and fold over to the left edge to form a triangle, encasing the filling. Next, take the corner nearest to you and fold this over to the right. Keep folding until you reach the top. (You can place a leaf of parsley between the two sheets near the top so that the leaf is visible as decoration.) Repeat the procedure to make 12 small pies.
Place the pies on a baking sheet. Brush with oil and bake for 15-20minutes until golden brown. To serve, place the pies on a serving platter and hand around the tzatiki separately.
Serves 6 as a starter
Categories
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