Silverbeet and Zucchini Filo Pinwheels Recipe

Plant based food to share at Christmas time can be a challenge for some,

but never fear The Veggie Tree is here!

Here is the recipe for Silverbeet and Zucchini Filo Pinwheels. Silverbeet for all non-Kiwis is Chard, it is an awesome green to have in the garden as it needs barely any love to produce juicy big dark green leafy goodness. It is also pretty cheap to buy and doesn't wilt down as much as spinach.

I love filo pastry but it can be time consuming and let's face it we all want a quick meal to whip up in the summer. This took me 30 minutes to prep ready for cooking, no covering between each layer or buttering individual sheets of filo here guys. There is also a fast filo recipe in The Veggie Tree Autumn & Winter Cookbook which you can purchase right now through the website shop and it should get to you just in time for Christmas if you order now! I digress...

This recipe can be made totally animal friendly for the Vegans or a little cheesy, it is equally great both ways so grab you trusty pastry brush and lets get started.

SILVERBEET AND ZUCCHINI FILO PINWHEELS RECIPE

~Recipe from The Veggie Tree Spring and Summer Cookbook~

Vegan

Makes 24 pinwheels

Gather your ingredients and prepare the silverbeet:

1 bunch silverbeet, approx. 600g

1/2 tsp salt

Slice the stems thinly and roughly chop the leafy parts as these will cook faster. Add 2 cm of water to a pot and add prepared silverbeet, cover and cook on high heat for 5 minutes until just wilted. Tip into a colander and run under cold water to cool quickly. Squeeze well to remove as much water as you can then place in a clean dry tea towel. Meanwhile grate the zucchini:

2 zucchini, grated

Squeeze excess liquid from this also, and place in teatowel with the silverbeet. Fold teatowel over the silverbeet and zucchini and twist ends in opposite directions to squeeze all the excess liquid. Put the butter onto melt if using:

100g butter

or

100 ml olive oil

Preheat the oven to 190 deg C. In a bowl measure the following:

3 cloves garlic, crushed

zest of 1 lemon

1/2 c pitted olives, roughly chopped

3 sprigs dill or fennel, finely chopped

2 sprigs mint, finely chopped

1/2 c parsley, finely chopped

250 g ricotta or tofu, crumbled

250 g cream cheese or vegan cheese, grated (I used Angel Food Mozzerella)

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp cracked black pepper

1 egg or chia egg (1 T chia + 1/4 c water, mix and leave to absorb for 10 minutes)

plus the silverbeet and zucchini

Mix together well. Take 3 sheets of filo together and lay flat, brush the top with butter then place another 3 sheets halfway across the first piece then butter the top. Repeat this x 2 so you end up having a long piece of filo approx. 80 cm in length. Butter the entire top and place 1 sheet over 1 half and 1 sheet over the other to cover the joins then butter the entire top again. This leaves 4 sheets remaining, to secure the roll after rolling up. Distribute the filling evenly over the filo leaving 3 cm at each end and along the far edge. Fold the edges in and butter. Roll up like a pinwheel, starting from one end tucking and rolling from end to end then back again. Butter the far edge to secure on last roll. Line up the remaining sheets so they will fit the sausage you have made, buttering to join together if needed. Then butter this all over and roll the sausage over it. This will secure it all together. Then using a serrated knife cut in half, then each piece in half again, then each piece in half again, so you have 8 equal pieces. Now cut each piece into 3 so in total you have 24 pinwheels. Turn them on their cut ends and line up on a lined baking tray. Brush the tops with butter and sprinkle over:

2 T sesame seeds

Bake in the oven for 30 minutes, until golden brown. For a simple garnish scatter cherry tomatoes over pinwheels.