Recipe ingredients:
350g mixed mushrooms, chopped (I use chestnut and button because they have the best names),
6 sheets of filo pastry (I use a standard size ready-made pack),
2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped,
50-60g pine nuts & walnuts, chopped,
150g baby spinach,
250 ricotta,
juice of half a lemon,
olive oil,
fresh rosemary,
salt & pepper.
Step-by-step method for cooking the dish:
- Fry the chopped mushrooms, garlic and nuts in olive oil, resting the rosemary on top.
- Whilst the mushrooms are soaking up lots of flavour, wilt the spinach.
- Add the spinach to the mushrooms and nuts, and leave to simmer for a few minutes until most of the juices have evaporated.
- Take the mixture off the heat, and let it cool slightly—turn the oven (190°c or 170°c for fan ovens).
- Remove the rosemary, add the ricotta and stir until even.
- Add the juice of half a small lemon (1tsp approx) and season to taste.
- Take the 6 sheets of filo pastry and separate into two piles. take each pile of 3 sheets, and cut into 6 even square shapes (so you should
- have 12 piles 3 sheets thick, and 36 squares in total—each parcel will use 3 of these squares)
- Take a sheet, brush it with olive oil, place another sheet on top, and repeat.
- Place some mushroom mixture (approx. 2 dessert spoons) in the center, and gather the pastry corners together the top—brush with oil.
- Repeat until all the pastry is used up (you can snack on any unused filling!) and pop in the oven on a lined baking tray for 12-14 minutes.
- Whilst the parcels are in the oven, you can make your Jubilee flags! Cut your paper into small rectangles and draw a union jack on each.
- Cut 12 lengths of string (approx. 12cm) and staple a flag to each, in the center.
- Your parcels should be ready now—take them out of the oven and tie a flag around the top of each.
List of equipment needed:
For the parcels:
large saucepan,
sharp knife,
pastry brush,
baking tray,
baking paper.