Stinging Nettle Phyllo Pastry Pie

Submitted by SpiceBunny

"This is a standard spanakopita recipe, but with stinging nettles and some herbs."

 

• Ready In: 1hr 45mins
• Ingredients: 12
• Yields: 8 pieces
• Serves: 5

ingredients

• 3 eggs
• 100 g feta cheese
• 75 g low-fat ricotta cheese
• 3⁄4 cup roughly chopped dill
• 1⁄2 cup flat leaf parsley
• 75 g low fat cottage cheese
• 1 (6 ounce) package Baby Spinach
• 1 head leek
• 1⁄3 cup sunflower oil
• 10 -15 sheets phyllo pastry
• 1 pinch pepper, to taste
• 1 large salad bowl nettles

directions

1. 1. Pick the leaves off the stinging nettle and discard the stems. Wear some thick gloves to do this.
2. 2. Add 1 tbsp sugar and a pinch of salt to a pot of boiling water to preserve the green colour of nettle. Boil the stinging nettle leaves for 5 minutes, then strain, cool, then squeeze the water out as MUCH as possible.
3. 3. Chop up the stinging nettle leaves into small pieces so they will mix well with other ingredients and be easy to eat.
4. 4. Steam the package of baby spinach leaves and strain, cool, and SQUEEZE as much liquid out of them as possible.
5. 5. Finely mince the leeks, then sautee them until slightly browned.
6. 6. Roughly chop the dill and parsley.
7. 7. Mix wet ingredients into one bowl: Macedonian feta, ricotta cheese, cottage cheese, and eggs.
8. 8. Mix greens together: Sauteed leeks, parsley, dill, spinach, and nettles.
9. 9. Mix the green ingredients and the cheese / wet ingredients together thoroughly until smooth. Add some pepper to taste, but you don't need salt due to the saltiness of the feta.
10. 10. Lay two pieces of phyllo together on a baking tray, then lightly brush the top with sunflower oil.
11. 11. Lay another 2 pieces of phyllo together at a time, and lightly brush with phyllo pastry until you have 6-7 pieces.
12. 12. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
13. 13. Layer evenly all the filling on top of bottom layers of phyllo pastry that have been brushed with oil.
14. 13. Continue laying 2 pieces of phyllo at a time and brushing them will oil, until you have an equal number of phyllo pieces on top as in the bottom of the pastry.
15. 14. Use a fork or small knife and poke some holes on the top in order to release the steam while the pastry is baking.
16. 15. Place the pastry in oven, uncovered for 45 minutes at 350 F and bake until lightly browned.
17. 16. Remove and let cool. Add pepper to taste. Serve with a squeeze of lemon.
18. 17. Enjoy!
19. 18. Please note, the Greek phyllo is thinner so you need 2 slices together to prevent ripping. If it's a medium thick one, such as a homestyle Balkan phyllo then maybe one phyllo slice is enough at a time with oil brushed on top.