Emily English’s salmon and spinach filo cottage cheese quiche

“Quiche is a classic lunchtime staple, and I wanted to give it my signature twist and transform your standard recipe into one full of protein, healthy fats and balanced nutrition,” says food writer Emily English.

“Blending the cottage cheese to form a creamy custard base is the secret here, as well as using light filo layered with olive oil. I like to bake this in a deep cake tin, but you can bake it into individual muffin cases; adjust the cooking time accordingly.”

Salmon and spinach filo cottage cheese quiche

Under 255kcal, 20g protein per serving

Ingredients
(Serves 6)

Spray oil, for greasing
300g cottage cheese
100ml milk
5 medium free-range eggs
100g baby spinach leaves, wilted and chopped
10g chopped chives
100g smoked salmon, chopped
Zest of 1 lemon
4 sheets of filo pastry, each cut in half
50g feta cheese, crumbled
Salt and pepper

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan Gas Mark 4. Lightly spray a 20cm deep springform cake tin with oil.

2. In a blender or food processor, blend the cottage cheese with the milk until smooth. Transfer to a large mixing bowl. Add the eggs to the bowl and whisk until well combined. Stir in the wilted spinach, chives, smoked salmon, lemon zest and salt and pepper to taste. Mix until all the ingredients are evenly distributed.

3. Layer the halved filo sheets into the oiled cake tin, spraying each sheet lightly with oil as you go. Ensure the sheets are layered evenly to form a sturdy crust, overlapping to cover any gaps.

4. Pour the cottage cheese and egg mixture into the prepared filo crust. Tuck the edges of the filo back in on themselves to create a neat edge – you can be rough with this; don’t worry about it being perfect. Sprinkle the crumbled feta evenly over the top of the filling.

5. Bake in the oven for 60 minutes, or until the filling is just set. It will continue to set as it cools, so allow the quiche to cool slightly before serving. This also makes it easier to slice.

Live to Eat by Emily English is published in hardback by Seven Dials, priced £25. Photography by Clare Winfield. Available now.