VEGETARIAN PICNIC: LOWER FAT & SALT SPANOKOPITA, healthier indulgence

A lower-fat & salt but fabulously tasty version of an unforgettable Greek favourite...

Cyllinders of low-fat, low-salt crunchy Spanokopita (spinach & feta pie)
'...really moist; loved the mushrooms' '...so tasty; wouldn't believe it was skinny.'  

2/6/16

Visitors to Greece who first experience Spanokopita -- the crisp, crackling spinach, feta and egg pie -- are usually blown away.  Memories linger long.  And despite the fact that food on holiday never tastes as good at home, spanokopita recipes abound in places as defiantly unlike sunny Greece as the UK and eastern North America.   

For the health-conscious, including vegetarians, there are obstacles.  One is the pastry - paper thin filo sheets usually melded together with lashings of melted butter.  Feta, too, which produces the bold, tangy taste, is - whether from sheep's or goat's milk - high in saturated fat and salt. 

67's popular recipe* has all the characteristics and flavour of the original but is surprisingly lower-in-fat and lower-in-salt.  Some people prefer it to the original.  

It includes mushrooms and cottage cheese.  The cottage cheese replaces some of the high-salt feta, and the mushrooms interrupt the one note texture of the filling -- in a good way.  

As with all spanakopitas, there is a bit of work involved but the filling can be made a day ahead of time.   Note that some supermarket filo pastries need defrosting overnight before it can be used. 

The photo shows a spanakopita for a picnic.  2 fat sliceable cylinders were packed into a stiff-sided container with serviettes protecting each layer and sliced on site. 

At home, an 8x11 inch; 20x28cm rectangular version with 3 layers of filo below the filling and 3 above would work well.  Scrunch the overhang onto the edges. 

The recipe also makes several individual trianglular spanakopita if you have the patience for all the slicing and folding involved.  67 has concluded that the pastry-filling ratio is better in a large spanakopita than in smaller ones.

This recipe is not particularly budget friendly (there are more frugal versions on the net) but the taste of fresh spinach really is worth it.  If frugality is your theme, frozen spinach is much cheaper.  

Cost: £7-8, less with frozen spinach
Serves: 6-8 as a main course; 15 or more as a picnic parcel

Ingred:
   113gm/4 oz mushrooms, in 1/2 inch/1 cm dice    
    olive oil (67 used Greek but any Mediterranean will do)
    2 large white or 3 red onions in med dice
    2 med to fat cloves garlic, minced  
    500 gms/8oz spinach (two large bags), washed & drained; remove grotty leaves & stems (make this a family task)  
    2 generous tablespoons chopped parsley
    1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill or 1 tsp dried dill (opt)
    1/8 tsp nutmeg, fresh if you have it
    pepper & salt
    
    150gms/5.3oz feta cheese, crumbled
    100gms/3.5oz cottage cheese
      20 gms grated fresh parmesan (opt)
    2 large eggs, beaten

    1 packet 6 filo pastry sheets for 2 fat cylinders OR 2 packets for 4 cigar shaped cylinders

     1/3 to 1/2 mug olive oil OR 67's fav, groundnut oil, either mixed with melted butter 

     1/4-1/2 mug fresh breadcrumbs
    
Method:

VEGETARIAN ST PATRICK'S DAY: SPINACH & EGG FILO PIE, lower fat & salt

A lower-fat, lower-salt but fabulously tasty version of an unforgettable Greek favourite...

Cyllinders of low-fat, low-salt Spanokopita (spinach & feta pie)
'really moist; loved the mushrooms' 'so tasty; wouldn't believe it was skinny.'  

first posted 6/16

Visitors to Greece who first experience the crisp, crackling spinach, feta and egg pie, known as Spanokopita, are usually blown away. Memories linger long.  And despite the fact that food on holiday never tastes as good at home, spanokopita recipes abound.  

The beautiful soft green filling makes it a perfect St Patrick's Day vegetarian dish.

For the health-conscious, including vegetarians, one difficulty lies in the pastry - paper thin filo sheets usually melded with lashings of melted butter. Feta, too, which produces the bold, tangy taste, is - whether from sheep's or goat's milk - high in saturated fat and salt. 

67's recipe is lower-fat, lower salt but terrifically tasty.  It is, indeed, even preferable to the orginal.  It includes mushrooms and cottage cheese; the mushrooms interrupting the one note texture of the filling; the cottage cheese replacing some of the high-salt feta. Both foods were included in a memorable  recipe from Martha Rose Shulman's Vegetarian Feast (sadly, out of print).     

There is a bit of work involved but the filling can be made a day ahead of time and refrigerated. Note that some supermarket filo pastries need defrosting overnight before it can be used. 

The photo shows a spanakopita for a picnic.  2 fat sliceable cylinders were the choice.  Pack into a stiff-sided container with serviettes protecting each layer. 

At home, an 8x11 inch;20x28cm rectangular version with 3 layers of filo below the filling and 3 above would work well.  Scrunch the overhang onto the edges. 

This recipe is not particularly budget friendly (there are more frugal versions on the net) but the taste of fresh spinach really is worth it.  Save it for special guests or a special occasion. 

Cost: £7-8
Serves: 6-8 as a main course; 15 or more as a picnic parcel

Ingred:
   113gm/4 oz mushrooms, in 1/2 inch/1 cm dice    
    olive oil (67 used Greek but any Mediterranean will do)
    2 large white or 3 red onions in med dice
    2 med to fat cloves garlic, minced  
    500 gms/8oz spinach (two large bags), washed & drained; remove grotty leaves & stems (make this a family task)  
    2 generous tablespoons chopped parsley
    1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill or 1 tsp dried dill (opt)
    1/8 tsp nutmeg
    pepper & salt
    
    150gms/5.3oz feta cheese, crumbled
    100gms/3.5oz cottage cheese
      20 gms grated fresh parmesan (opt)
    2 large eggs, beaten

    1 packet 6 filo pastry sheets for 2 fat cylinders OR 2 packets for 4 cigar shaped cylinders

     1/3 to 1/2 mug olive oil mixed with melted butter

     1/4-1/2 mug fresh breadcrumbs
    
Method:

1. Remember: the phyllo pastry should defrost in the fridge the night before cooking.  
2. Put a large, deep casserole pan over med-high heat
3. Spray generously with olive oil; add mushrooms; cook until all the liquid is gone and the mushrooms are nearly dry; this will take a few minutes.  Remove and set aside.
4. Add a thin layer of olive oil; sautee onions and garlic until onions are tender and browning at the edges - probably 5 mins 
5. Add spinach, parsley & dill if using; the leaves will fill the pan but gradually wilt down & reduce over 5-10 minutes; season with pepper and a little salt.  Add cooked mushrooms; mix. Place in a colander over a bowl and allow liquid to drip through as it cools (there shouldn't be too much). (Freeze juices for stock.)
6. When spinach is cool, coarsely chop.  In a large bowl, mix cheeses, then spinach and then eggs. Blend well.  Refrigerate overnight if making ahead.
7. When ready to cook: allow spinach mix to come to room temperature.
8. Preheat oven to 350F/180c/170fan
9. On a large board, lay out one layer of the phyllo pastry, keeping the rest under a damp cloth; brush with butter-olive oil mix, sprinkle over a light layer of breadcrumbs. Repeat with two more layers.
10. On the long edge add a generous sausage of either half or a quarter (depending on whether you're making 2 or 4 cylinders) of the spinach mix, leaving an inch clear on both ends; fold the ends over and roll the mixture until it is completely encased in the pastry; place on a cooking tray lined with greaseproof paper.
11. Repeat once for fat cylinders, three more times for cigars.
12. Bake 35-45 mins or until brown and crispy.
13. Cool on the tray.  
14. Using a sharp serrated knife, slice into pieces which fit easily in the hand.  Pack into a stiff sided container.  

Comments:

'I've eaten more spanokopita in recent years; this was one of the better ones.  It was nicely moist and the mushrooms were lovely.'  20+ fund-raiser 

'It is terrifically tasty but not greasy. I think I prefer it.'  retired writer

 Tip:

• Spanakopita Bites are the festive version of this, with either vegan, fish or meat filling 
• Uncooked spanokopita freezes well, & heats beautifully.  Bake at 350f/180/c/170fan for 45 mins.   

More Vegetarian dishes on NavBar: Recipes II...

                       

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This recipe has been developed by B  Lee/ Bright Sun Enterprises and may not be reproduced, in any form, without the author's written permission. 

HOME-MADE EXQUISITE BARBEQUED PORK, Skinnier, almost guilt-free

Eating healthily doesn't mean pork's off the menu, especially if it's nearly fat free and lower-sugar & salt 

first posted feb 2018

Home-made Char Siu Pork, easy
'Perfectly flavoured & melt in the mouth.' Hard to believe it's low fat/sugar/salt.' Tasters
 

This exquisitely tender, succulent, guilt-free Chinese classic, Char Siu Pork, will be a real crowd-pleaser at Year of the Pig celebrations. 

Unmistakeable sweet and savoury sauce plus crisp edges make the pork a popular restaurant choice but some offerings are laden with sugar & salt, and hide thick layers of fat.   

67goingon50's version uses extra-lean pork fillet which has less fat than skinless chicken breast.  Though a little more expensive, it goes a long way.     

67's marinade reduces sugar, soy sauce & salt to minimise blood pressure/blood sugar issues. 

It does not include the usual red or yellow bean sauces, often considered necessary for authenticity, because they're likely to sit at the back of a westerner's cupboard. Instead 67 introduces hoisin sauce*.  No apologies because a jar of this dark, salty-sweet smokey condiment will be used again and again -- as a glaze, a dipping sauce or (like oyster sauce) a flavouring for fried rice. 

Preparation of the meat is simple but needs to be done a day in advance.  

Cost: £3-4, depending on meat 
Serves:  4-6 as a snack at a picnic or buffet 

Ingred:
   400-500gm/12-16oz pork fillet, trimmed of fat & sinew

 Char Siu Marinade:
     1 1/2 tbsp hoisin sauce
     1 tsp oyster sauce
     1/2 tsp reduced-salt soy sauce
     1/2 tsp toasted sesame oil (or peanut oil)
     3/4 tsp sugar
     1 1/2 tbsp maple syrup or honey     
     2-3 tbsp brandy or sherry
     1 tbsp tahini or smooth peanut butter
     2 med cloves garlic, peeled & grated
     2 tbsp peeled & grated ginger
     1 tsp 5-spice powder     
     1/2 star anise

     red food colour without e numbers* (opt) (67 didn't bother)

Method:

Equipment: a small roasting tin 5cm/2inches deep and a roasting rack that sits comfortably in it 

1. The day before: Cut the fillet into two equal sized pieces 
2. Mix all the marinade ingredients, whisking or processing to blend
3. Pour the marinade into a plastic zip-lock storage bag or a large plastic bag (placing the bag in a deep bowl first will reduce leakage)
4. Put the pork into the bag, mushing it round so the fillets are well coated
5. Refrigerate 4-6 hours or overnight, turning when you remember
6. When ready to cook, bring pork back to room temperature
7. Preheat oven to 200c/400f
8. Fill tin half full with hot water 
9. Drain and reserve marinade; rinse and dry star anise which can be re-used 
10. Place pork fillets on the rack
11. Bake 20 min, brushing marinade on the meat halfway through
12. Reduce temperature to 180c/350c; bake another 20 mins, basting every 5 mins or so.  If you have a meat thermometer, the inner temperature should be 65-70c/145-160f 
13. To give the fillets a charred look, turn temp up to max (OR turn on the grill) and cook until edges are slightly charred 
14. Leave to cool
15. Mix 1 tbsp maple syrup or honey with a drop of red colouring, if using; brush it all over the fillets until they glisten
16. Serve at room temperature; slice thinly on the diagonal

Comments: 

• 'The pork was perfectly flavoured and melted in the mouth.' Political Agent
• 'The sauce was so like restaurants in London's Chinatown, you wouldn't know fat, salt & sugar were reduced.  The meat was very tender.'  Retired writer  

Tip:
The marinade can also be used on a less expensive cut of pork like butt or shoulder, sliced into strips 2in/5cm wide, but the meat will be higher in fat

Ways to Serve Char Siu pork:

• over a mound of white rice with Honeyed Chinese leaves and gravy made with the leftover marinade plus stock
• sliced, on noodles in hot broth 
• over a salad of Chinese leaves & cucumber with Oriental dressing 
• as a snack, sliced     

*Lee Kum Kee   £2/400gm

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More pork on NavBar/RecipesII

This recipe has  been developed by B M Lee/ Bright Sun Enterprises.  It may not be reproduced without the author's written permission.