The last month or so I have been blogging more and more Mezze recipes and sharing my love for this delicious style of eating. I am constantly influenced by Eastern Mediterranean and Middle Eastern flavours and I am always finding new ways and styles to cook with different and exciting ingredients. And while I am pleased that my list of Mezze recipes are becoming varied, meaning that we don’t have the same small plates each time we want a little of that fresh and vibrant influence in our kitchen, they can get a little on the heavy side when wanting to make all of your favourite dishes…
pine nuts
Spanakopita (Feta and Spinach Filo Pie)
It is no secret that the Greeks love their pies and spanakopita is probably the most known and popular of them all. Pies are a greek tradition that vary from sweet to savoury fillings and with crumbly shortcrust pastry or flaky filo toppings. While I love buttery puff pastry or soft, chewy shortcrust I do prefer filo pastry as it feels a bit lighter and has a more crisp texture. It also holds it’s shape and texture a lot better when eaten cold the next day compared to puff pastry that naturally loses it’s … puff and becomes a bit soggy. A spanakopita uses the favourite filo pastry and is basically feta and spinach. I add pine nuts and both crème fraîche and greek yoghurt to give the filling that sharp, salty kick to it….
Red Pepper, Feta and Pine Nut Salad
Ah, Spring! After a very long Berlin Winter I am extremely happy to have some sunshine in my life. You can definitely tell that Spring is here as the local markets and supermarkets are packed with the latest seasonal goods. I stocked up on some rhubarb and asparagus this weekend so stay tuned for those recipes!
As the sun is out I have been making the most of it so weekend lunch for me has been quick and easy which is where this salad fits in perfectly. I once had this in a restaurant with goats cheese and it was so light and delicious that I had to make it at home….