Weekly Recipe

With Maria Anstis

Quark, Silverbeet & Leek Filo’s

-MAKES ABOUT 7-8 FILO’S


-2 leeks (white part only), well washed & sliced/chopped finely

-1 bunch of silverbeet (green leaves only, I cut out the stalks),                                                                                                                      well washed, patted dry with kitchen towel as best as you can &                                                                                                     chopped well. This will yield between 250-300grams of leaves.

-3/4 cup of quark (continental cottage cheese)

-1/2 cup of light/tasty cheese (I used 50% reduced fat)

-7 or 8 thick filo pastry sheets (available in ‘Delphic’ brand at IGA                                                                                        supermarkets in the fridge section, not frozen)

-1 tablespoon of light sour cream

-Pinch of chicken stock powder

-Pinch of salt

-Freshly ground black pepper

-1 teaspoon of cumin

-Pinch of nutmeg

-Rice bran oil and/or Rice bran oil spray (in a can)

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-Pre-heat oven to 180 degree’s celcius or 170 degree’s if fan forced.

-Saute prepared leeks in a pan on medium heat with a little bit oil for 10 to 15 minutes until soft, but not brown. Add a pinch of salt during the saute-process and stir. This will season the leeks & help them wilt and soften.

-Set cooked leeks aside to cool & add silverbeet to a hot pan. Be careful because the silverbeet is bound to have water droplets and this will cause sudden ‘spitting’ from your pan as hot oil and the water mix. I actually dropped half of my silverbeet in shock from the noisy spitting!

-After a couple of minutes in the pan, add chicken stock powder, cumin & nutmeg to the silverbeet & stir occasionally until it softens.

-Arrange silverbeet mixture on a dinner plate to cool quickly.

-When both silverbeet & leeks are cool, mix together in a large bowl and add quark & tasty cheese + pepper & sourcream. I actually dug-in with clean hands and mixed it all together really well. You can do this with a large spoon too, but it’ll take longer. It’s tempting to eat the mixture when you’re at this stage!

-Lay one thick filo sheet on a dry surface, spray with rice bran oil (or oil of your choice), fold in half so you have a square-type shape.

-Place a couple of tablespoons of mixture along one side, fold over filo an inch on the top and bottom and then continue to roll, cigar-like.. so it resembles a jumbo sausage roll…making sure no mixture is exposed at the ends. For non-Aussies, it will look like a slim TV remote control-type shape! (Refer to blog photo’s)

-Place prepared filo’s on a baking tray lined with baking paper and spray with a little oil. You’ll make about 7 or 8 filo’s with this mixture. With my leftover filo sheets I quickly turned them into something else! I had cooked chicken in the fridge and I spread the leftover sheets with just a little tandoori paste & sourcream, then a sprinkling of cheese & some shredded chicken breast. Quick chicken tandoori filo’s!

-Bake Quark, Silverbeet & Leek Filo’s for 15 to 20 minutes until just golden brown.

-Serve two per person (cut one in half for presentation) and a side salad for a hearty lunch or brunch or light dinner.

For older recipes visit Maria’s blog -  foodiewanderings.com