Recipes: Spanakopita & tzatziki

This Greek-style pastry is filled with spinach and cheese, neatly folded into handy little parcels and makes the perfect Mediterranean starter

• 1 pack filo pastry
• 150g spinach
• butter
• 200g ricotta

FOR THE TZATZIKI

• ½ garlic clove
• ½ lemon , juiced
• pinch ground cumin
• pinch ground coriander
• ½ cucumber , peeled, seeds removed and shredded
• 100ml Greek yogurt
• handful parsley , chopped

  

  1. To make the tzatziki, crush the garlic with a little sea salt and make a paste with a little of the lemon juice, toast the spices and mix into the garlic paste.
  2. Mix the cucumber with the rest of the lemon juice and add the spices and garlic paste. Mix the whole lot together with the yogurt and parsley, then add a little salt.
  3. Wilt the spinach in a little butter, squeeze out any excess water and then chop and season well. Mix with the ricotta and then leave to cool completely.
  4. Heat the oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6.
  5. Lay the filo out and cut lengthways into strips about 8cm wide. Brush 2 of the strips with butter on one side then stick the buttered sides together.
  6. Put a dessertspoon of the filling on one end of the filo strip. Fold one corner over to make a triangle then keep folding, continuing the triangle shape, until you get to the end of the strip.
  7. Put on a baking tray and brush with butter. Repeat with the rest of the filo until all the filling has been used - you should make 12.
  8. Chill for 10 minutes in the freezer, then bake for 15-18 minutes until crisp and golden. Serve with the tzatziki.

  PER SERVING

  376 kcalories, protein 13,2g, carbohydrate 37,4g, fat 20,4 g, saturated fat 11,7g, fibre 2,6g, salt 0,98 g