Spanakopita from Greece

Spanakopita are spinach and feta triangular-shaped pies traditionally made with phyllo pastry.  Here's the thing.  Phyllo pastry is quite fiddly to work with and not always obtainable.  So this recipe uses frozen puff pastry sheets instead of the phyllo and is much easier to make.  Delicious to eat and quick and painless to make.

1 roll frozen puff pastry
2 eggs
1 large bunch spinach or 1 pack frozen spinach
1 onion finely sliced
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
2 tablespoons olive oil
100g feta cheese crumbled
Preheat the oven to 190 degrees Celsius.  Put the olive oil in a frying pan and saute the onion until soft.  Add in the spinach, salt, pepper and copped parsley and saute for another 2-3 minutes until the spinach wilts.  Turn off the heat and allow to cool.  Mix in one egg and the feta cheese.  Roll out the puff pastry sheet.  Cut it into about 3 long strips.  Then cut each strip to make squares.  Place some filling in the centre of each pastry square.  Beat the remaining egg in a small bowl.  Brush the edges of the square.  Fold over the squares to make triangles and crimp down the sides.  Brush the tops with the egg and place on a baking tray and bake for 15-20 minutes until golden.
Cindy Vine is a South African currently living and working in Kyiv in Ukraine.  She is the author of Hush Baby, Defective, C U @ 8, Not Telling and The Case of Billy B.  All her books are available on Amazon in both print and Kindle format. http://cindyvine.com

Lentil and Aubergine Moussaka from Greece

Tasty with bags of flavour, this vegetarian version of a classic moussaka will have you queuing up for seconds!  Greek islands, crystal clear waters, Adonis,,,this can make your mind wander off.

Lentil and Aubergine Moussaka

4 aubergine sliced into rounds

1 large onion sliced

4 garlic cloves finely chopped

1 capsicum chopped

1 cinnamon stick

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 cups cooked lentils

1 can whole peeled tomatoes

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 teaspoon black pepper

½ teaspoon cinnamon

½ teaspoon salt

Splash of red wine

Put some olive oil into a pan and fry the onions and garlic cloves until soft.  Add in the aubergine rounds, chopped capsicum.  When it is almost cooked add in the can of peeled tomatoes, tomato paste, cinnamon stick, other seasonings and a splash of red wine.  Simmer for about 5 minutes.  Add in the cooked lentils.  Mix well and transfer the mixture into an oven dish.

Topping:

1/3 cup butter

1/3 cup flour

3 cups milk

1 cup grated cheese

2 eggs beaten

salt and pepper to taste

Melt the butter in a pot, add in the flour and stir it in.  Add the milk a little at a time, stirring all the while so that you get a smooth consistency as it starts to thicken.  Add the grated cheese and salt and pepper.  Add the beaten eggs and mix well.  Pour over the aubergine and lentil mixture,  Bake in a pre-heated oven at 180 degrees Celsius for about 30 minutes or until the topping is golden brown.

Cindy Vine is a South African living in Ukraine and is the author of Hush Baby, Defective and C U @ 8.  All her books are available on Amazon in print and on Kindle.