- 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
- 2 medium leeks, white and light green parts only, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- 4 ounces (2 cups packed) amaranth leaves, roughly chopped
- 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons red pepper flakes, to taste
- Salt
- 4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled (1 cup)
- 2 large eggs
- 4 (16 x 12-inch) sheets frozen phyllo dough, defrosted
- 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (optional)
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- In a large skillet, melt the butter. Pour off half of it and set aside. Add the leeks and garlic to the pan and cook over medium heat for 2 minutes. Add the amaranth, red pepper flakes, 2 generous pinches of salt, and 1/4 cup water. Cook over low heat for 3 minutes, or until the liquid has evaporated. Remove from the heat and transfer to a medium bowl. Add the feta and eggs and mix to combine.
- Lay one of the sheets of phyllo dough on a smooth work surface. Cut the sheet in half so it becomes an 8 × 12-inch rectangle. Lightly brush the top surface of the rectangle with the reserved melted butter, then fold it in half so it becomes a double-layered 4 × 12-inch sheet with the buttered parts on the inside. Divide the amaranth into 8 equal portions (about 3 tablespoons each). Place one portion on the bottom left corner of the phyllo, 1 inch from the end. Fold the corner up over the filling into a triangle shape. Press down to seal. Continue to fold up the sheet as you would fold a flag. Press the end to seal. Brush the top of the triangle with melted butter and sprinkle with grated Parmesan, if desired. Transfer to a baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining phyllo sheets.
- Bake for 20 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown. Serve warm or let cool and then freeze. To reheat, defrost on the baking sheet and then bake.