Helen James

MAKING THE MOST

Beetroot, Walnut, and Feta Filo Pie

INGREDIENTS:

• Approximately 8-10 sheets of filo pastry (ready to use) • Some mild olive oil for cooking and brushing • 100g walnuts (chopped) • 100g mushrooms (chopped) • 1 tablespoon fresh thyme or (1 teaspoon dried thyme) • 1 shallot (diced) • Garlic • 200g bag of baby spinach • Pinch of nutmeg • 100g feta cheese • 1 medium-large cooked beetroot (sliced) • Salt and pepper METHOD:

Preheat fan assisted oven to 180°C.

Begin by cooking the walnut and mushroom layer: fry the chopped shallot and minced garlic in a little oil over a medium low heat in a frying pan for about 5 minutes. Then add the walnuts, mushroom and chopped fresh thyme or dried time. Sauté for a couple of minutes - you may need to add a splash of water to prevent the walnuts from catching the bottom of the pan. Add a pinch of salt and black pepper. Remove from the heat and empty contents into a dish. Leave to cool.

In the same pan, add a little drizzle of oil and the baby spinach and cook over a medium heat. Also, add the pinch of nutmeg and a little salt and black pepper. Mix until the spinach has wilted. Switch off the heat and leave to cool. Now to start assembling the pie: Grease the cake tin with a little oil. Start arranging the sheets of filo so they part cover the tin and drape over the top of the tin. Brush with a little oil before overlapping the next sheet and continue until you have circled the whole tin.

Add the walnut mix and spread over the bottom of the pie. Then add the spinach layer, followed by the feta cheese - crumble this on top. Finish with the slices of beetroot.

Fold over the draped sheets of filo on top of the pie. Press down very gently. Brush the top with a little more oil and place on the middle shelf in the oven for about 25 minutes.

This pie can be eaten hot or cold and is great for parties.

OF SEASONAL VEGETABLES

Butternut Squash and Roasted Tomato Soup

SERVES 4

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 butternut squash • 1 medium onion • ½ teaspoon fennel seeds • 6 tomatoes • 500ml water or stock of your choice • 2 tablespoons coconut oil, or butter or cooking oil of your choice METHOD:

Roast squash whole on a baking tray at 160°C in a fan assisted oven for about an hour.

Tomatoes also need pre-roasting for about half an hour at same temperature. The roasting can be done in advance and the vegetables kept cold in the fridge for a couple of days. When ready to make the soup, in a large saucepan fry the onion and fennel seeds in the fat until the onions soften.

Peel the squash and discard the seeds and stringy bits, add the rest to the soup pan along with the tomatoes and water or stock.

Bring up to the boil, then simmer for about 10 minutes before blending. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and add hot water if you like it thinner.