You know how kids are often fussy? Well, I was completely surprised to learn that my youngest daughter Lucy is a fan of spanakopita. It must be the combination of the flaky butter pastry and the salty spinach and cheese mix.

And so with the silverbeet going bonkers in my garden, I decided to create my own version of this classic Greek pie.

You will notice I’ve used my Varoma dish not just for steaming in this recipe, but also as a colander for washing the spinach leaves. If you sit your Varoma dish in the sink with the lid underneath, you will find it fills up nicely with water. Give your leaves a little rinse, then all you need to do is lift the Varoma dish to drain out the water.

If you haven’t worked with filo pastry before, don’t panic! It’s pretty forgiving in this recipe. Just layer it up, even if your sheets crack or split. But do remember to keep the pastry covered with a damp tea towel while you work, otherwise it will dry out.