If I was asked for my top secret weapon in getting my kids to eat healthier it would be presentation. Everyone eats with their eyes first but with kids it is a completely different ball game. If they don’t like the way the food looks, you will have a very hard time convincing them to try it, let alone eat it.

Instead of lecturing them on the benefits of spinach, I simply serve it in the form of cute mini rolls. I don’t have to say a word. Fun finger food,  crisp and crunchy on the outside, flavorful and creamy on the inside. I simply place the platter in front of them and watch with a smile.

Before moving to the recipe, I have some exciting news to share with you. A few weeks ago, Philips Middle East approached me with a fun challenge. 30 days of homemade meals, with the help of their appliances. They asked me and 4 other amazing mom bloggers to take on the challenge of creating 30 healthy meals for their families. Each one of us has her own take on the challenge. Mine was to  recreate my kids’ favorite recipes in a healthier way. This is the first of 6 recipes I will be sharing with you over the next 30 days. You can follow along the chronicles of the challenge and you can get to meet the other wonderful bloggers on the challenge’s facebook page.

For the challenge promo, we got to work with Chef Deema Hijjawi (she was really friendly and down to earth)and I got to be on an actual set for the first time. The experience was unlike anything I have ever tried before. I was really tense at first but everyone was super friendly, I got along with the other bloggers almost immediately and I have to admit that I found watching what actually happens behind the scenes on a video shoot enchanting 🙂
As you may already know, I don’t like frying food. I am always worried about all the oil! So I have to admit that of all the appliances, The Philips Air Fryer was the one I was the most excited about. The idea of frying food with hot air and one tablespoon of oil seemed too good to be true. But in all honesty, after trying so many recipes with it, I have to admit that it actually delivers!

The Philips Air fryer gave the rolls  the color, the taste and the crunch that I thought was only possible through frying! I loved the fact that it did all that with a fraction of the oil required for deep frying.

These spinach and feta mini rolls would be a great way to start iftar in ramadan, think of them as a refreshing substitute for samosa . They make great finger food in a party. They are also really kid friendly, my kids loved them so much that they took the leftovers to school the next day

Note: If you don’t have an Air fryer you can bake these brushed with a little oil in the oven or you can fry them

Spinach feta mini rolls

Ingredients

1 package frozen filo dough

For the filling

1 bag frozen spinach (450 grams) thawed

1 cup of crumbled feta

1 egg

half a cup of grated Romano cheese

1 red onion finely chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

1/4 teaspoon cardamom

1 cup fresh mint

1 cup fresh flat leaf parsley

Instructions

1.Thaw the filo dough according to the  manufacturer’s instructions

2.Prepare the filling by placing all the ingredients in the Philips food processor and whizz until you have a nice, creamy paste.

3.Take one sheet of filo dough (make sure to cover the remaining sheets with a clean kitchen towel to prevent them from drying)

4.Cut the sheet of filo into 3 strips, you will get three long rectangles

5.Spray the sheets or brush them with oil

6.Fold each strip in half to get a double layer of dough

7.Place one teaspoon of the filling along the short side of the rectangle and roll the dough to enclose the filling

8.Brush the finished roll with a little oil

9.Repeat with the remaining sheets

10.Set the Philips Air fryer’s temperature to 180 C and the set the time to 4 minutes. Air fry your rolls (if you do not have an airfryer you can bake these in the oven brushed with a little oil or you can fry them in oil)

12.Serve the mini rolls with some Greek yogurt for dipping

Disclaimer: Philips Middle East provided me with the appliances for this challenge, however the recipes, commentary and opinions are entirely my own.

طريقة التقديم هي سلاحي السري لترغيب أطفالي في تناول المأكولات الصحية، فنحن جميعاً نتفق على أن إرضاء الحس البصري جزء هام من عملية التذوق، أما الأطفال فهم لن يقبلوا تناول الطعام إن لم يكن شكله جميلاً.

وعوضاً عن محاولة إقناعهم بفوائد تناول السبانخ أقوم بتحضيرها على شكل لفائف صغيرة مقرمشة غنية بالنكهة، ولا أكاد أضع الطبق أمامهم حتى يبدأون بالأكل بشهية مفتوحة.

وتُكسِب المقلاة بدون زيت من فيليبس اللفائف لوناً ذهبياً ونكهة رائعة وتجعلها مقرمشة بطريقة كنت أظن أنها غير ممكنة إلا من خلال القلي العميق.