Spanakorizo a.k.a. Greek Spinach with Rice
Spanakorizo is a traditional Greek recipe. It is to the Greeks what risotto is to the Italians.
A typical recipe is made with long-grain rice, spinach, and dill. Some recipes use only lemon juice, no tomato. But my yiayia always made her version with both tomato and lemon. It’s filling enough that it can be eaten on its own. I suggest serving it with a side of feta cheese and olives. It also pairs nicely with oven baked fish.
Talya loves this dish and happily gobbles it up. The rich flavors make it hard to resist. If you’re planning to serve this to your kids, omit the red chile flakes.
Spanakorizo
Serves 4
1 small yellow onion, diced
1 med leek, washed cut in half and sliced thin
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil (preferably Greek)
230 grams (about 8 ounces) of long grain white rice
3 medium sized tomatoes, washed and diced
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1/2 teaspoon red chile flakes
about 3 cups chicken stock (vegetable stock if you want the dish to be vegetarian)
1 pound 4 ounces washed and stemmed spinach
1/3 cup chopped dill
juice of 1 lemon
salt and pepper to taste
In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Once warm, add the diced onion and leek. Saute for about 5 minutes, while stirring occasionally. Once the onion and leeks are translucent, add a little salt and freshly ground pepper.
Stir in the diced tomatoes and the rice. Reduced the heat to medium. Add about 1 cup of the chicken or vegetable stock. Stir the mixture every 15-20 minutes, to ensure that the rice does not settle to the bottom of the pan, stick, and burn.
As the rice begins to absorb the chicken stock, add more 1/2-1 cup at a time. Cook the mixture until the rice is al dente. Once the rice is almost cooked, add the chile flakes and the spinach. Depending upon the size of the pot, all the spinach might not fit in at once, add half, wait a few minutes for the spinach to wilt, stir and add the rest. Once the spinach has begun to wilt, add the chopped dill and the lemon juice. Continue cooking for several minutes. Season with additional salt and pepper. Serve the dish warm or at room temperature.
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