A Greek Staple Food
Spanakorizo or Spinach Rice is a staple dish in most Greek homes. This is the perfect winter food that can be Vegan. Fragrant and rich, this dish is loved by kids and adults. It can be served as a side dish to go along with keftedakia (Greek meatballs) or a nice piece of fish. However, you enjoy it as a main dish that can be served with some fresh bread and Greek cheese such as feta or kasseri. You can find these cheeses in your local supermarket in the cheese section.
What is Spanakorizo?
Spanakorizo is such a simple dish made with spinach and rice. It is delicious and full of nutritional value. Spinach is full of antioxidants and fiber and rice is a source of carbohydrates to provide sustenance. The actual recipe has little olive oil during the cooking stage, but adding some olive oil while serving makes it even more delicious and the addition of fat helps with the absorption of antioxidants. The beauty of the Greek Mediterranean diet is that you can eat your vegetables effortlessly.
Spanakorizo – Greek Spinach Rice
Equipment
- (Help support our site!)Large Skillet
- Lettuce Washer
- (Help support our site!)Wooden Spoon
- (Help support our site!)Chefs Knife
Ingredients
- 1 whole Spanish Onion Peeled Small Dice
- 1 cup Rice
- 3 bunch Spinach Rinsed, Rough Chop
- 3 tbsp. Olive Oil
- 1 tbsp. Tomato Paste
- 14 ounce(s) Tomato Diced
- 3 cup(s) Vegetable Stock
- 1 cup(s) White Wine
- ½ bunch Fresh Dill Finely Sliced
- 2 tsp(s) Garlic Minced
- 1 To Taste Salt & Pepper
Instructions
- Gather ingredients and cut the stems of the fresh spinach. Throw out the spinach stems.
- Give a rough chop to the spinach and wash thoroughly.
- Place vegetable stock on stove and bring to boil.
- Place a large skillet on stove and add olive oil. Once your pan is heated add and sweat the onions.
- Add minced garlic and tomato paste and sweat down for about two minutes with onions.
- Add rice and incorporate into mixture. cook rice for two minutes.
- Once all together deglaze pan with white wine. Mix with wooden spoon scraping bottom of pan.
- Begin adding hands full of spinach at a time and incorporate into rice mixture.
- Once all spinach is incorporated add the hot vegetable stock and stir.
- The spinach will welt into liquid rice mixture. Keep stirring scraping the bottom of pan till liquid begins to boil.
- Bring to a simmer and stir occasionally till all spinach has mixed in. Begin finely slicing the dill.
- Once mixture has cooked down for about ten minutes, add salt, pepper and dill.
- Mix and scrap bottom of pan to ensure rice isn't sticking. Once the liquid has incorporated into mixture and reduced by ¾ shut off stove and cover.
- After about ten minutes uncover and stir. The rice should have absorbed most of the liquid. Check seasoning and serve. Once plated feel free to add some Reggiano cheese or crumbled feta cheese.
