There are days when I don’t get a single load of washing done; there are dirty dishes piling in the sink, wet towels are laying on the floor (that is only if I actually manage to organize myself to even have a shower) and toys are everywhere.
You know those days….when #mumlife defeats you?
The kids are screaming over every single damn thing, Netflix isn’t working, no one is having a day sleep and going to the toilet is a crowded and a very public experience. Yep those days. Those days were quotes like ‘Is is wine time yet?’ or ‘Just remember the days are long but the years are short’ get you through… #bullshit On those crazy days, quotes like that actually just really piss me off because #motherhoodunited isn’t happening today. Ahhh those days… #amiright?
Well Sunday wasn’t one of those days… Sunday was the day that I baked a god damn pie.
BOOM.
There was music playing, candles burning, children in harmony, toys being packed up and a freaking pie is baking away in the oven for dinner. Sometime you have to celebrate the little achievements. Like pie. I am celebrating pie.
The best thing about this recipe is you can basically put in any greens you like (think silverbeet, spinach, baby spinach, watercress etc). Sometimes if I am feeling fancy I add in a little bit of lemon zest, leek or some basil. But today it was just the simple version. So here is my take on a Greek ‘Hortapita’ Pie. The kids loved it; (as did hubby) though we did call it a lasange in order for Oliver to eat it. He doesn’t eat pie…
What you need:
Pastry
Flour
Olive Oil
1 Egg lightly beaten
Cold Water
Salt
Filling
Olive oil /butter /ghee
2 large bunches of greens (I used silverbeet).
1 onion
2 Shallots
200 – 300 grams of cheese (mix of cheddar / feta/ goats cheese).
How to do it:
Make the Pastry. Don’t freak out. It is a just few ingredients and literally you just mix them altogether in one bowl. Mix the flour, olive oil, cold water, salt and eggs together with a wooden spoon. Once the dough has come together knead it into 6 – 7 smaller balls and rest for thirty minutes.
Dice and fry up onion / shallots on a low heat in olive oil / ghee or butter.
Chop up your greens finely. If you have a thermomix /blender / food processor you can easily do this in a few seconds, but sometimes I love the repetitive precision that comes with cutting greens. I’m a bit of a food geek.
Grate cheeses and mix onion, greens and cheeses together.
Now it’s time to assemble your pie. You can use any shape pie dish (round / square /rectangle). Place some olive oil on the bottom of the dish and roll our your first sheet of pastry on a floured surface. Tip: want to get the pastry as thin as you possible can.
Place the first layer on pastry on the bottom of the pie dish, then drizzle with olive oil and top with some of the green mixture. Repeat for as many layers as you like. I did six layers this time, but it can easily work with less.