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Ever tried Greek ‘spinach pie’ and enjoyed it? If so (or even if you haven’t!), you’re going to love these cute little filo parcels stuffed with lovely Mediterranean flavours including spinach, feta cheese, dill and sundried tomatoes. Mmmmm!
I’m afraid I’m going to get all British on you again by talking about the weather.
But don’t worry, I won’t drone on about it for very long. I just wanted to explain that these Greek filo parcels with tzatziki came about because a couple of very dear friends who I first met in Greece came to visit me this past weekend. We had a wonderful day of talking each other’s ears off and laughing far too loudly.
We also visited a local park complete with families of deer and a very eccentric and slightly creepy old mansion called Wollaton Hall. The creepy mansion – where incidentally some scenes from the Batman movie The Dark Knight Rises were filmed – is also a sort of natural history museum. I say ‘sort of’ because the ‘natural history’ part actually consists of hundreds of stuffed birds and various other stuffed animals including a huge giraffe and gorilla that have apparently been there since my mum was a little girl and … wait for it … a colony of Madagascan hissing cockroaches.
I just know you’re all rushing off to book your trips to Wollaton Park now. 😉
Seriously, though, I shouldn’t be rude because we had a really fun time chuckling at this slightly unusual ‘museum’ that’s hardly changed for at least a hundred years! The only disappointment was that the ant colony and life-size dinosaur skeleton that I remember being there during my childhood were no more.
Chop, stir, layer, brush, pile and scrunch!
After leaving the hall, we went for a walk in the park and then sat outside for afternoon tea. It would all have been very English had it not been for the scorching sunshine that made it feel very much like my friend who is still living in Greece had brought the weather back with her. Well, until the sudden downpour, that is, that had us dashing for cover in true British summer style.
So to stop myself feeling too sad after my lovely friends had left, I decided to make something Greek for the blog today. I know, AGAIN, but no apologies because, well … who needs to apologise for a suggestion to eat more tasty, not to mention healthy, Mediterranean food?
I’ve been wanting to make these little Greek filo parcels for quite a while. You just mix up a quick spinach, feta, spring onion, sundried tomato and dill mixture, lay a spoonful of it in the centre of a couple of overlapping filo pastry squares, then pull the sides in and up, scrunching them up at the top.
I wasn’t quite sure whether this would be one of those recipes that ends up being more complicated and fiddly than it sounds, but I’m happy to report that it wasn’t at all. The little parcels actually look quite cute and classy – don’t you think?
We ate ours with some baked salmon and my own version of a corn, tomato, avocado and basil salad that I spotted on the wonderful David Lebovitz’ blog yesterday (mmm – might post this soon myself – it was delicious!). But of course they could just be a little party treat or appetizer or even a cheeky little mid-morning snack (the Greeks eat this sort of thing at any time of day, but especially as a late breakfast with coffee).
The tzatziki on the side is optional, but I’d definitely encourage you not to skip it. It’s so easy to make and you feel like you’re eating a naughty mayonnaise-y type sauce, but it’s actually super healthy as it’s just yoghurt, cucumber, dill, garlic and lemon juice … bonus!
Oh, and just before I go … if you like the sound of this filo parcel recipe, you’ll like this one, too: Greek quesadillas with tzatziki. To my surprise, this recipe has been pinned on Pinterest almost 50,000 times at the last count, so they must be good, right? 😉
Ooooh … now which to make first???
Serves: makes about 10 parcels
- 200 grams/7 ounces spinach, washed
- 2 spring onions (scallions), washed and finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon chopped dill
- 3 or 4 sundried tomatoes, finely chopped
- 70 grams/2.5 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
- about 20 squares of filo pastry (roughly 12 x 12 cm – I used 4 large sheets of pastry and cut my smaller squares from those, but of course it depends how big your sheets are)
- olive oil for brushing
- ½ a cup (140 grams) Greek yoghurt
- ¼ of a medium cucumber, diced finely
- ¼ of a small clove of garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon chopped dill
- a couple of squeezes of lemon juice
- salt & black pepper to taste
- a drizzle of olive oil (optional - to garnish)
- Preheat the oven to 200C/390F.
- Wilt the spinach in a pan, then squeeze out the water with your hands and place in a medium bowl.
- Add the spring onions (scallions), dill, tomatoes and cheese and set aside.
- Lay a pastry square on a board or clean work surface and brush with a little oil. Lay another square over the top but with the corners crossing the sides of the first square (see picture above) and brush with a little more oil.
- Place about a heaped teaspoon of spinach and feta mixture in the centre of the pastry squares and gather up the sides so that they meet in the middle. Press them together to seal your parcel.
- Place on a baking tray, then repeat until you have made all the parcels. Brush the tops with a little more oil, then bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until the parcels are golden and crispy.
- Meanwhile, make the tzatziki sauce by combining all the main ingredients, then drizzle with a little olive oil if you like.
- Serve the parcels warm with the tzatziki.
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I don’t even want to admit how many of these I could probably eat in one sitting. They look delicious!
Hi Amanda! Well, at least they’re semi healthy… in fact everything apart from the pastry and that’s really thin 😉
these would be the best little appetizers! and guess what? I found GF phyllo!
Wow! You can get GF anything these days … which is great, of course! 🙂
These have to be one of the best ideas ever, Helen — EVER! I love spanakopita and this is such a fun way to make it…and sounds like you had a great visit with your friends!
Hey thanks, Marcie! What I like about these is that they taste exactly like spanakopita but are much easier to make…glad you like them!
I could devour all of these. Anything with feta and I am all over it!
I always order filo parcels if they are on the menu, but I haven’t tried making them myself.
They’re sooo easy, Dannii … give them a go!
What perfect little parcels and I love how crispy filo is, they sound delicious. Wollaton Park sounds very spooky, I might have to check that out next time I’m home 🙂
It’s funny, Janette, I grew up going to that park but have only just noticed the spookiness! 🙂
Love these filo parcels, Helen! We ate something similar to this in Cyprus this summer – so good! They look delicious, excited to try the recipe! 😀
I love all your Greek recipes. This would be so perfect for a get-together!
Thanks, Chrissy! 🙂
A hall of taxidermied birds and such… that does sound creepy… in an interesting kind of way 😉 I love all of your Greek dishes, Helen. But this one has to be my favorite! I just adore these little spinach/feta filled purses – I would totally eat them all!
Oh, love that description, kathleen … spinach and feta filled purses! Great description of the hall, too … creepy in an interesting kind of way! Spot on! 😉
These filo parcels look fantastic, Helen! I love how crispy they get. Your Greek dishes are such an inspiration and always make me hungry!
These really were lovely and crispy, Gayle. Mmm .. my favourite!
A walk in the park with a cup of tea sounds delightful to me. And never apologize for Greek recipes using filo dough that are tasty and Mediterranean. Yum. Sounds like a bite of vacation. Love sun dried tomatoes in here too.
Love that, Laura … a bite of vacation! Definitely a good description for these as they remind me of my times in Greece so much! 🙂
With 50,000 repins – GIRL – YOU BET those Greek quesadillas with tzatziki is a hit! Speaking of a hit – these little Greek filo parcels are not only adorable, but they sound so scrumptious! Love the tzatziki!
Thank you, Dear Shashi! 🙂
I know I will love this because I love spanakopita!! These looks incredibly yummy and I could easily have… so so many of them! 😀 hahaha!
The hissing cockroaches gave me the chills!! I think I can stand creepy mansions (as long as it’s not haunted):)
Oh, I know! I probably shouldn’t have mentioned the cockroaches on a food blog!! Happy you like the little parcels 😉
Wow these look very wonderful, love the spinach and other flavors, I make something like this but with curry! I will have to try this!
Oooh, with curry? Sounds intriguing! Thanks so much for passing by! 🙂
LOL, that museum sounds pretty eccentric…apparently there is a museum in a small town down the road from me that is filled with stuffed gophers dressed up in costumes…I’m secretly kind of dying to go to it! And I think you know the way to my heart: phyllo, feta and tzatiki. That is it 😉 Looks delicious, Helen!
Hi, Denise! Oh, the ‘stuffed gopher’ museum sounds hilarious! Might (just might) be able to rival the stuffed giraffes and gorillas and hissing cockroach colony!!
These look so cute and very delicious Helen! Love cooking with film and have to make these soon! The tzatziki is a great addition! P.S. I just made filo rounds today and will post the recipe soon!
Ooh, I am intrigued by your filo rounds … can’t wait to read the post! 🙂
I havebeen wanting to make these for ever Helen so I have just pinned them.
Hi, Bintu! Thanks so much for pinning and hope you get around to making them soon! 🙂
These look amazingly delicious….Thank you so much for the recipe…I would happily devour many of them!!!
You’re welcome, Gina! I really hope you give these a go some time! 🙂
These little filo parcels look perfect and yum! It’s amazing that these look quite like Chinese dumplings. I like the way you wrap them. And it’s great to know how to cook them properly in the oven. Will try out this of course. And maybe some fusion Asian filo parcels too 🙂
Oooh, I bet Asian filo parcels would be just fantastic! I would love to try out some of your Chinese dumplings some day … I really must get around to that! Hope you’re having a good weekend, Maggie 🙂
Do you think I could make these in the morning to be cooked in the evening?
Many thanks
Caroline
Hello Caroline. No problem at all! Just assemble, pop in the fridge, then brush and bake when you’re ready!
You could even cook straight from frozen (raw) if you like. Just add a few minutes to the cooking time.
Hope it goes well! 🙂
How many parcels does this recipe and amounts stated make?
Hi Shannon. This recipe makes about 10 medium-sized parcels. Good luck!!