Spinach and Rice (Spanakorizo)

Beginner Cook - Medium Cooking Time - Main Course - Side Dish - Vegan - Vegetarian - Gluten-Free

This dish may seem ordinary but people love it. If there is one recipe that I have been asked repeatedly to post, it is this one. Not only does it taste great, it's wonderfully healthy, and easy to make. The recipe also offers a large degree of flexibility. While we usually enjoy it as the main dish topped with feta, it can be served as a side and pairs well with nearly everything. There is also leeway with the ingredients. This recipe is written using arborio rice, however if you prefer brown rice or a different grain altogether, as long as you adjust the amount of water to correspond to the grain used, the recipe will turn out great. In the past, I've experimented with quinoa and barley, both of which worked well, although my favorite remains arborio. With respect to the spinach, you can use fresh, frozen, whole leaf, or chopped. For illustration purposes, I used whole leaf for the picture above, and chopped for the process steps.

Ingredients (Serves 4)

• 1 pound fresh or frozen spinach
• 1/2 medium red onion
• 1/2 cup arborio rice
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil (divided)
• 4 cups water
• 3 heaping teaspoons tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon fresh dill or 1 teaspoon dried dill
• Salt to taste

Time - 45 minutes
Preparation - 5 minutes
Cooking - 40 minutes

Preparation

• Peel and chop the onion
• Cook the onion with 1/4 cup olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat until the onions are translucent (about 5 minutes)

• Add the spinach and dill and sauté together over medium heat until combined (about 3-5 minutes)

• Add the rice, water, salt, and tomato paste and stir
  

• Simmer uncovered over medium-low heat for 30-40 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the rice is fully cooked
  
• If needed, add water during the cooking process
• During the last 10 minutes of cooking, add another 1/4 cup of olive oil
• The spinach and rice should be thick without being dry. If too watery, raise the fire to evaporate some of the water. If too dry, add water 1/4 cup at a time until the desired consistency is reached and simmer for an additional 5 minutes