Spanakopita is a type of Greek spinach and feta pie wrapped up in a parcel of filo pastry. What makes these Christmasy is the addition of the cranberries. If you wanted to make them even more Christmasy you could secure the pastry ‘wrapping’, with some chive twine.

They freeze brilliantly, wrapped individually for convenience, in baking-paper-lined foil.

You could spice the dish up a bit with some finely diced mild chorizo.

A great lunch with a green salad – perhaps a rocket and walnut salad dressed with a walnut oil, and add the chorizo into the salad, instead of into the parcels.

It’s also great as a starter, also with a few dressed leaves, and some fruity (blackberry) chutney.

Recipe for Spanakopita Christmas Presents

This makes about ten – hungry people might eat three for lunch – or one each as a starter with the chutney and a little green salad on the side as a garnish.

Ingredients

• 1 onion
• 200g/7 oz fresh baby spinach
• 200g/7 oz feta – the type that comes from Greece
• 50g/½ cup dried cranberries – or you could use dried sour cherries
• 250g/8 oz filo pastry sheets – JR Feuilles de filo is the best to get
• 50g/2 oz butter
• smoked salt and freshly ground black pepper, or a pinch of Urfa pepper
• olive oil for frying
• a good forest fruit chutney – I use blackberry and apple, you’ll need plenty

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 210ºC.
2. Heat some oil in a flat-bottomed wok.
3. Peel and chop the onion, add to the wok. Fry for five minutes or so.
4. Add half the spinach and allow it to wilt down, then add the other half, and wilt down again.
5. Take off the heat and crumble in the cheese and the cranberries and stir through.
6. Season. Stir. Taste. Adjust.
7. Melt the butter in a small saucepan.
8. Line a baking tray with silicon paper.
9. Half a rectangular pastry sheet to make it square – about 25cm2. Brush on one side with melted butter and put buttered side down on the tray. Put a dessertspoon of the spinach mix onto it and put on the middle and fold the pastry over carefully like a Christmas present.
10. Repeat with the rest of the mixture. Bake 8-12 minutes. Serve with the chutney.