Shalini Ekanayake is a current Master of Human Nutrition student at Deakin University with hopes of becoming a registered clinical nutritionist upon completion. She has a strong passion for cooking and loves trying her hand at various cuisines and experimenting with all sorts of ingredients! Of all the types of cuisines, her favourites are Italian and of course Sri Lankan cuisine (her family’s culture).

Check out our full range of recipes here.

Feta and silverbeet filo pastry triangles

Shalini’s feta and silverbeet triangles are the perfect appetizer, lunch or snack. They’re so easy to make, bake and share!

Ingredients:

• 1 brown onion, finely diced
• 2 eggs
• 4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
• 1 bunch of silverbeet, roughly chopped
• Bunch of parsley, roughly chopped
• Bunch of dill, roughly chopped
• 200g of firm feta, cut into small cubes
• Salt and pepper to season
• 1 packet of filo pastry sheets
• 125g of butter, melted

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180C.
2. Place a large frypan over a medium heat and add a good splash of olive oil. Pop in the onions and sauté for a couple of minutes so they soften and become translucent.
3. Next, add the garlic and continue frying for another minute before adding the shredded silverbeet, cook for another 3 minutes and remove the pan from the heat.
4. Add the cheese and herbs, give everything a good mix. Add the 2 eggs and stir mixture together.
5. Take off the stove.
6. Place a damp tea towel over the filo to prevent the pastry from drying out. Remove one sheet and brush with butter, place another sheet on top, brush with butter again and lay one more sheet on top.
7. Cut the pastry into three equal strips and spoon a generous amount of the spinach mixture onto the ends. Rolling up the mixture, fold the pastry on a 45-degree angle and repeat until you have a neat pastry triangle. Brush with melted butter and place onto a lined baking tray. Repeat with the remaining silverbeet/spinach and pastry.
8. Place the finished pastries into the oven and bake for around 20 minutes or until golden and crisp.
9. Serve with your favourite condiments – such as tomato sauce, chutney or tzatziki.
10. Enjoy!