Spanakoryzo

In Athens, but also in most of the parts of Greece, once a week, every neighborhood has its street market, which is called “laiki agora” meaning peoples’ markets.

There you can find freshly cut, ripened-to-perfection fruits, vegetables, produce, herbs, fish, flowers, plants, clothes and household items. Usually the marketplace occupies four or five roads and the stalls are put together in the crack of dawn and start disassembling after 2 p.m.., once they have sold out.

These street markets are organized by the local municipalities who determine where they will be set and usually the place is fixed. The producers or the merchants selling there produce have their fixed spot and pay a due to the municipality. On its part, the municipality is responsible to provide them with mobile toilets, which they place in nearby streets, from the previous night and after the market finishes at about 3 p.m. immediately the garbage collectors pass and gather everything they have left behind and clean the roads and of course collect the toilets.

Most people prefer to go and do their shopping there as apart from everything being fresh when it is near ending time they reduce the prices so that they can sell out and you can get the vegetables and fish really cheap. Of course that is the most crowded time. However, some products are still expensive even at the street markets. Last Tuesday, which by the way is the day my neighbourhood has its street market I spotted some really expensive things. Chestnuts ranged from 6 – 9 euros a kilo, walnuts (in their shell) from 3 to 6 euros a kilo, mushrooms around 6 euros a kilo and stamnagathi (chicorium spinosun, a coastal chicory, a small tasty leaf which the Minoans used to serveup with oil and vinegar) which is a wild green found mainly in Crete was 12 euros a kilo.

I usually make supplies to last until the following week and this week among other things I bought spinach to make spanakoryzo.

Spanakoryzo is a vegan dish and means spinach and rice.

This is the traditional recipe for this delicious dish that is a warming and hearty meal but mostly nutricious and healthy and we usually serve it as a main dish but if you like you can serve it as a side dish as well. This is a Greek dish that our family loves and we enjoy, especially during lent.   The quantity of rice added depends on what you want to prevail in the dish.  When my children were younger and did not like spinach, I used to add more rice but now we love it with less rice.    Serve it with Greek Feta cheese or Kalamata olives and lots of crusty bread and you have heaven.

Spanakoryzo (Spinach and Rice)

SERVINGS: 4 – 5

Preparation time: 30 minutes (without cleaning and washing spinach)

Cooking time: 35 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 kilo fresh  spinach
• ½ cup of Carolina rice (or any soup rice)
• 1/4 cup of olive oil
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 5 spring onions, finely chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
• ½ cup of dill (or fennel),  finely chopped
• ½ cup parsley, finely chopped
• 5 ripe tomatoes or 1 can (500 gr.) whole tomatoes with juice, blended
  
• 1 cup of water
• 1 tablespoon salt
• Freshly grated black pepper

Directions

Clean and wash spinach and if leaves are big remove the stem and cut into 2 or 3 pieces. If not place them whole in a big sauce pan without adding any water (just the water which is still on the leaves) and place on heat stirring for about 5 minutes, until the spinach wilts. (This will reduce the volume of the leaves and most of the water can be drained easier). Drain and set aside.  Frozen spinach can also be used.

Sauté onions and garlic until translucent  and then add spinach and mix a couple of times.   Add  half amount of parsley and dill, salt, pepper and tomato with juice which you have blended in a liquidizer. Lower heat and place lid on sauce pan and simmer for 15 minutes.

Wash rice and add to the spinach. The rice will absorb most of the tomato juice and will become soft in 15 – 20 minutes. Ten minutes after adding rice, remove from heat, add the remaining dill and parsley and stir.    Let it rest for 10 minutes and then serve.

Serve with Kalamata olives and feta cheese.

Tip No. 1: Do not add all dill an parsley together with other ingredients as when you add it at the end it keeps all its aroma and flavor.

Tip No. 2: Prepare it just before lunch and serve it immediately as the longer you will leave it the rice will continue absorbing the juices and it will become dry.

Tags: healthy recipes, Ladera, lenten, Nistisimo, spinach, Vegetables, Vegetarian