• About Us
• Church Family
• Pathfinders
• Online Magazine
• Church Location
• Site Map

Recipe - Spinach and Feta Christmas Wreath

by Erica Green

NOTE: Print this Page for easy reference when cooking.

 
In Australia, where December is generally hot, we seek out something a little lighter than the traditions of cold climate Christmas food.  

Christmas is always a time for sharing the type of food, that is more indulgent in nature, and that takes a little more effort to prepare. Just because you have chosen a vegetarian lifestyle, is no reason for this to be any different for you.

Inspiration for this recipe has come from the classic Greek dish, "Spanakopita" with a festive twist.

 
Ingredients

Serves 6

• 250g packet frozen chopped spinach, thawed
• 250g bag basmati microwave rice
• 200g Greek feta cheese, crumbled
• 4 eggs
• 1/2 cup finely chopped dill + extra reserved for garnish.
• 1/2  cup finely chopped mint
• 2 spring onions, finely chopped
• finely grated rind of 1 lemon
• 125g butter or margarine, melted
• 12 sheets of filo pastry

 
Method

• Preheat the oven to 200C (convection) or 180C (fan forced)
• Squeeze out as much excess moisture from the spinach as you can.
• Mix together the spinach, rice, fetta, eggs, dill, mint, spring onion, and lemon rind in a large bowl.  Set aside.
• Line the base and sides of a bundt cake tin with sheets of filo pastry.  Allow the sheets to hang over the sides of the tin. It should take two sheets per layer.  Brush each layer with the melted butter and repeat for other sheets.
• Fill the bundt tin with the spinach, feta and rice mixture. Fold over the top of the pasty sheet by sheet, brushing each layer with melted butter.  If there is too much overhang you may need to trim the pastry back so that you don't get a thick uncooked pastry bottom.
• Bake for 30-40 min. or until the pastry is browned and crisp.  Stand in the pan for 5 minutes before turning out onto a round serving plate.
• Garnish with the reserved chopped dill.  Serve warm.

About the Recipe

• This recipe is suitable for vegetarians.
• A bundt cake tin/pan is a ring tin which is traditionally used to cook a bundt cake.  Unlike a standard straight sided ring cake tin, the bundt tin will generally have a rounded bottom and fluted or ridged sides, in many different designs, which makes for an interesting design on the top of the cake once inverted.  These tins are readily available in supermarkets and department stores.  I used a not stick coated tin.  Who says that you can only use bundt tins to bake cakes?
• Spend time getting as much liquid out of the spinach as you can.  Don't skimp on this step as any excess liquid will make for a soggy pie.
• Mix the pie filling well.  The spinach has a tendency to clump together and does not look as attractive as it could when you cut slices.  Give the squeezed out spinach another chop before you mix it through the rest of the ingredients can help. 
• The filling can be made in advance to save rushing on the day.
• You can of course use your own cooked basmati rice in this recipe, but I have taken a shortcut here and used a bag of the precooked variety, which is readily available in supermarkets now.  I always have a few bags in my pantry for those quick last minute meals.
• Cutting filo pastry pies can be a bit tricky. You can easily end up with a serving plate of crumbs.  Try using a serrated edge knife.   I have found this little trick to work wonders.
• Go with the red and green Christmas colour scheme, and serve the wreath with a cherry tomato salad.
• The pastry on this wreath is lovely and crunchy, while it is still warm, but does go a bit 'ordinary' once it is cold.  However, the filling is yummy hot or cold, and I have been known to eat leftovers straight from the fridge the next day (Nigella Lawson style) regardless.
• You can use this filling in a more traditional way as filling for a standard pie.  Pie makers seem to be all the range at the moment and this filling works well with those too.

Copyright © 2019 Thornleigh Seventh-day Adventist Church