Filo Pastry Pie with Spinach, Feta and Herbs

I made this recipe today as I had some spinach which I wanted to use up.  I wanted something a bit more substantial for us to have for lunch rather than a traditional spanakopitta so came up with this recipe which is a sort of amalgamation of a spanakopitta and a quiche. In Greece and Cyprus there is a similar version of this pie which is made using wild greens which are foraged from the mountainside. I used other types of green stuff which I thought would be a suitable substitute. Even my children loved it which I was quite surprised about as it had so much "green" in it!

1 pack of filo pastry sheets -about 200g -( the one I used had 8 sheets of filo)
3 tablespoons of olive oil

1 onion chopped

100g of chicory chopped
100g wild rocket
200g spinach

25g fresh mint - leaves picked and chopped
25g fresh dill- chopped

200g feta cheese crumbled
200g ricotta cheese

4 eggs lightly beaten
80g melted butter
50g breadcrumbs
salt and pepper
a good grating of fresh nutmeg.

28cm/11" round tin with a removable base

Heat the oven to gas 180 degrees centigrade/gas 7

Method

Heat the olive oil in a large pan. Add the chopped onion and cook over a low heat until the onion is soft. Add the chicory, rocket and spinach and allow all the greens to wilt down for about 5 minutes.

Remove from the heat and stir in the chopped herbs, crumbled feta cheese and ricotta. Mix in the eggs and lightly season with salt and pepper ( as the feta is quite salty) and the nutmeg. Set aside.

 Place on sheet of filo pastry into the base of your tin and brush with melted butter. Layer another 3 sheets into the pan allowing the excess to hang over the sides of the tin. You will need to fold these over to enclose the filling later. Brush each sheet with melted butter as you go. Sprinkle the base of your filo pastry with the breadcrumbs. These will absorb any excess moisture which will come out of your greens and ensure your pie does not have a "soggy bottom".

Pour in your prepared filling and fold over the excess filo pastry. Make a top for your pie by lightly "scrunching" the remaining filo sheets and lightly placing them on top of the filling. Again brush each sheet with melted butter.

Place your pie on a baking sheet and cook in the preheated oven for about 50 minutes to an hour. Keep an eye on your pie. Check it after about half an hour and if it is browning too quickly lightly cover the top with a piece of foil.

When your pie is cooked remove from the oven and allow it to cool in the tin for about 10 minutes before removing the side of the tin. Serve hot or cold cut into wedges.