Spicy Vegetable Pies with Tzatziki

Listener 28/4/2007

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Serves 6

250 g	Greek yoghurt
1	Cucumber, small. peeled and grated
1 handful	Fresh mint, chopped
1	Lemon, zest and juice
1 to taste	Salt & freshly ground pepper

1 handful	Baby spinach, washed
5 tbsp	Extra virgin olive oil
1	Aubergine, small, cut into 2cm dices
1	Leek, white part only, thinly sliced
1	Red pepper, roasted, peeled & cut into fine strips
¼ tsp	Allspice
½ tsp	Ground coriander
1 tbsp	Dried thyme, crumbled
¼ cup	Flat leaf parsley, finely chopped, extra for garnish
¼ cup	Pine nuts, toasted and chopped
1 tbsp	Lemon juice
1 tsp	Sea salt
½ tsp	Freshly ground black pepper
12 sheets	Filo pastry
3 tbsp	Extra virgin olive oil, for brushing

Combine the tzatziki ingredients and chill for at least an hour.
For the pie filling, put the spinach in a heavy pan and cook over a low heat for about 2 minutes until wilted.
Drain well and chop coarsely. In a large, heavy frying pan, heat 3 tablespoons of the oil and sauté the aubergine until browned on all sides.
Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Add the remaining oil to the pan and sauté the leek until soft, then add the spinach, aubergine and remaining ingredients.
Gently stir, taste and season well. Set aside. Preheat the oven to 180 degC.
To fill the pies: stack the filo sheets on top of one another. Cut into 2 strips lengthwise (about 12cm wide), and place under a clean, damp teatowel.
Working with 2 strips at a time, lightly brush a strip with oil and place a second strip on top.
Place a twelfth of the filling on the near end of the strips, then gently take the filo corner nearest to you and fold over to the left edge to form a triangle, encasing the filling.
Next, take the corner nearest to you and fold to the right. Keep folding until you reach the top. (As a decoration, place a parsley leaf between the 2 sheets near the top so that the leaf is visible.)
Repeat the procedure to make 12 pies. Place the pies on a baking sheet, brush with oil and bake for 15 to 20 minutes until golden brown.
To serve, place the pies on a platter and hand around the tzatziki separately.