Growing up watching Popeye the sailor man, eating spinach from a can, had me convinced that spinach was my way of becoming super woman. Time passed and the closest I got to acquiring super powers, was when I accidentally almost electrocuted myself by sticking a nail into a plug (the fact that I’m alive, puts me in the “people with special powers hall of fame”!). Despite my “adventurous” past, my mom’s spinach and rice recipe brings back only happy memories of my childhood. She makes this dish so creamy like a risotto, only it’s not. She adds leeks and spring onions, dill and two whole bunches of fresh spinach, along with grated tomatoes and rice.
When cooking for my family, I almost forgot about this lovely dish. It was only until I met my dear friend Gunna, who came to live with us and happens to be a vegetarian, that I decided to make “spanakorizo”. I must admit, I didn’t expect the raving reviews when I cooked it for her, since this was a very familiar taste I grew up with. Sometimes, I forget how fantastic our Cypriot family dinners tasted. She just loved it and asked me to make it many times since then. It was one of the treasured recipes she took with her when she went back home to Iceland. This is my lovely mom’s spanakorizo. A recipe I will treasure and try to feed to my kids. My very own “super-heroes”.
My mamma’s spanakorizo
Ingredients
- 2 bundles of fresh spinach, approx. 600 grams, chopped in large pieces
- 80 ml olive oil
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 2 leeks, sliced
- 5 spring onions, sliced
- 4 tsp dill, finely chopped
- 200 ml tomato passata
- 250 ml vegetable stock
- 1 cup of parboiled rice
- ½ tsp black pepper
- Salt as needed
Instructions
- Wash the spinach well and cut about 2 cm off the stems. Chop stems and leaves in large pieces and put it in a bowl until needed.
- In a large pot or saucepan, add half the olive oil. Sauté the onion and leek over medium-high heat until they begin to turn golden.
- Add the spring onions to the pan. Heat through and add the spinach. Season with salt and cover the pan with the lid. Lower the heat and simmer until the spinach stems are soft (about 10 minutes).
- Add the rice to the pan with the remaining olive oil and mix well. Pour over the tomato passata and vegetable stock. Finally, sprinkle with the dill, season with pepper and add a little more salt if needed. Cover and cook on low heat for 15-20 minutes until the rice is cooked.
- Allow to stand for 30 minutes before serving. Serve with yoghurt and feta cheese.
