Feta and Spinach Filo parcels

Feta and spinach are a classic combination and my favourite flavours this summer. I've been making a yummy dip one of Annabel Langbein's recipes (follow the link to the recipe Spinah and feta dip)and these delicious parcels made by a house guest and adapted to become a family favourite. They are so tasty that I manage to get away with them as a vegetarian meal for the lummoxes.

Ingredients

200g feta

1 leek or onion finely sliced

2 cloves garlic crushed

1 tablespoon fresh thyme

1 bag baby spinach (120g)

Finely grated zest of 1 lemon

2 eggs

10-12 sheets filo pastry

50g butter- melted

Method

Pre heat oven to 200 C. 

Cook leek or onion with garlic and thyme in olive oil over a low heat until soft and translucent. 

Add the spinach, crumbled feta and lemon zest. 

Cook until spinach is wilted. 

Take off the heat and add two eggs and season with plenty of cracked pepper. 

Stir to combine and leave off the heat. 

Melt the butter in a small pot or in the microwave. 

Get the work surface ready for working with the filo pastry. It is delicate and dries out very quickly- so it is important to be organised. Make sure the bench where you wrap the parcels is clean and dry. Place a clean, damp tea towel on a board and place the pastry onto the damp cloth and fold it over to keep covered until needed. 

Take one sheet of pastry and place flat on the bench top. 

Brush half the sheet with butter and fold in half. Don't worry about little tears in the sheet. 

Place a large spoonful of mixture in the middle of the pastry. 

Brush butter on the two short sides and one of the long sides of the pastry. Fold the unbuttered side over the mixture and then the long buttered side over that. 

Turn over so the opening to the fold is on the bench. Butter the unfilled sides of the pastry and fold over to make a neat parcel. 

Turn over so that the open fold is back on top and place on a baking paper lined baking tray. Brush the top with butter and sprinkle with sesame seeds. These can be folded into smaller cigar shapes or triangles and go perfectly with drinks. 

Repeat until all the mixture is used. 

Bake approx 10 minutes until golden and crisp. 

Serve with chutney or relish and a crisp green salad.