Filo Rolls with Bok Choy Leaves and Feta

bokchoyrolls_Bok choy (or pak choy) is one of the rare autumn and winter vegetables I always look forward to. As much as I love its stir-fried crisp stalks, I have never liked the texture of warm limp leaves, so if my bok choy had abundant leafy part (sometimes half of its height), I used to cut off about 3/4 of the leaves and throw it away. I hate wasting food, so I kept on experimenting with this unwanted part until I found a dish where its softness would be more than welcome. It worked perfectly as the spinach replacement in the famous Greek Spanakopita filling I have been making for some time according to Katerina’s excellent recipe. The result is equally delicious, though of course not  strictly Greek…

Instead of a whole pie I have made individual filo rolls, the form I prefer and find easier. I have slightly modified Katerina’s Spanakopita recipe, mainly adding garlic, so make sure you check her original recipe on Culinary Flavors where you will also find homemade filo pastry instructions.

TIPS: If you have less bok choy or less feta, feel free to change the ratio. I think that increasing the bok choy’s amount is less risky (feta is very salty).

The chopped dill is not obligatory here. If you use it, either use it fresh or frozen (not dried).

Preparation: about 1 hour

Ingredients (makes 6 rolls):

6 sheets of filo pastry

150 g feta cheese, crumbled

1 egg

3 big handfuls of chopped bok choy leaves

1 big clove garlic, crushed

(2 heaped tablespoons fresh chopped dill)

1 flat tablespoon cracked wheat (you can use semolina instead, but I prefer cracked wheat)

black pepper

Preheat the oven to 180°C.

Put the chopped leaves into a bowl and squash them with your hands until the volume is reduced. Crumble the drained feta into a bowl. Add the chopped leaves, dill (if using), cracked wheat and some ground black pepper, stir well and with a spoon divide into 6 equal portions (this will make the filo sheets’ filling process much easier).

Spread one filo sheet on a big chopping board.

Place horizontally, about 2,5 cm/1 in. from the filo sheet’s shorter edge which is closest to you, a portion of feta and bok choy mixture.

Roll tightly but delicately, starting from the edge which is closest to you, folding the two lateral edges into the roll, so that the filling doesn’t leak during the baking process (I have folded here about 3 cm/about 1,2 inch on each side).

Proceed in the same way with the remaining rolls.

Brush the top of the rolls with some oil or melted butter, place on a baking tray or baking paper and bake in the oven until slightly golden (about 30 minutes in mine). Watch them often as they tend to burn quite quickly.

12 Replies to “Filo Rolls with Bok Choy Leaves and Feta”

    1. I always find rather big or medium bok choy. Small ones come from Thailand only and I prefer to buy local products.

        1. You are lucky; here they grow them until they reach a certain size, which means big leaves. Mini bok choy sold here comes only from Thailand.

  1. Bok choy is a favorite in our house too. It’s firm when cooked and it retains much of its crunch. These filo rolls of yours must be flavorful with feta. Perfect for a milder weather of fall. I hope you are having a good week, Sissi and thank you. 🙂

    1. Thanks a lot, Ray. I also love the crunchiness of bok choy. This is why I never liked when it had too many leaves. Now I now what to do with them 🙂

  2. Bok choy has become my most favorite of all the greens so I love unique recipes like this. I actually bought some phyllo dough the other day thanks to your inspiration. It’s in the freezer, but I will be pulling it out soon and making at least 2of your recipe. this one looks like a great place to start.

    1. Thank you so much, MJ. I’m looking forward to reading about your filo experiments. Basically you can fill it with anything, as long as it’s not too moist (the pastry is so thin). If you like spinach, I recommend trying the real spanakopita first!

  3. Thank you once again Sissi for thr shout out! Indeed, you found a great way to use the greens of the bok choy. Basically you can put any type of greens you like and make a veggie pie. We in Greece since we have an abundance of greens we make different types apart from spanakopita and they are all so delicious just like these little treats you made! I see that phylo is no longer a problem for you. You have become a master! Thanks again!

    1. Hi, Katerina. Thank you for the kind comment; I certainly don’t use filo the Greek way, so I’m really glad you don’t disapprove. I was really glad to find this way to use the leaves because I really don’t like them stir-fried…

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