Feta and Silverbeet Pie with Yoghurt Pastry

The kids are all back to school which means I spend most of my day thinking about how I'm going to fill their lunchboxes. There's a lot of pressure to come up with the goods day after day. Most of the time my kids have wraps, sandwiches and fruit like most kids. but every now and then I pull out the stops and surprise them with a piece of pie to stave off the boredom of having the same old thing every day. Just about the worst thing that can happen to a parent who has gone to the effort of packing a school lunch is to have it come home uneaten due to lack of interest. If the kids don't eat lunch, it means the little darlings walk through the door at the end of the day starrrrrving and miserable, begging for food which will inevitably ruin their appetite for dinner. And that's a whole other story.



Feta and Silverbeet Pie with Yoghurt Pastry
adapted from here

For the Pastry:
400g plain flour, sifted
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
225g butter, room temperature
250ml Greek yoghurt
1 egg mixed with 1 teaspoon water for egg wash

For the Filling:
1 large bunch Silverbeet (Swiss chard), stemmed removed, leaves washed, dried and chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
400g feta, crumbled
250g ricotta
1/2 cup mascarpone
4 eggs, lightly beaten
6 spring onions, finely sliced
1/3 cup chopped dill
3 tablespoons lemon juice, plus the zest
1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg

Make the Pastry:
Using an electric mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and yoghurt together in medium speed until combined.

Mix the salt into the flour and gradually add them to the butter mixture, mixing on low speed until it comes together. Divide the dough into two even portions, wrap them in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 3 - 4 hours.

Make the Filling:
Put the oil into a large saute pan and heat over medium heat. Add the chopped silverbeat and cook until it is wilted. Season with salt and pepper and continue to cook, uncovered, for about 6 - 8 minutes, until tender and dry. Set side.

Put the feta, ricotta, mascarpone, eggs, srping onion, dill, lemon juice and zest and nutmeg into a large mixing bowl and stir to combine. Add the cooked silverbeet and mix thoroughly. Season with salt and pepper.

Assemble the Pie: 
Preheat the oven to 190C and line a baking tray with baking paper. Set aside.

Take the dough out of the refrigerator and roll one portion out on a floured work surface until it is an 30 cm x 25 cm rectangle. Lay it on the prepared baking sheet.

Spoon the filling onto the pastry leaving a 2cm border around the edges. Brush the edges of the pastry with egg wash.

Roll the second piece of pastry out to the same dimensions as the first. Lay the pastry over the filling, pressing the edges firmly together. Fold the edges over themselves and then crimp. Brush the top and borders with egg wash and bake for 45 - 50 minutes, until the pastry is cooked and golden.

Transfer to a wire rack to cool slightly before slicing.