Spinach Rice Recipe

It has been said that muscle definition is achieved in the kitchen, not in the gym. Variety in your diet and including different food groups will keep your taste buds happy and can help you stay on track to achieve your goals. Here is a delicious and simple Spinach Rice recipe to help you get there:

2T Greek extra-virgin olive oil

1C finely chopped red onion

1 garlic clove, minced

1C long-grain rice

8C chopped fresh spinach (about 1 pound (450g)), stems removed, cleaned well

1/2C water

1/2C chopped wild fennel fronds or dill

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

juice of 2 lemons, strained

 In a large heavy skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, until soft, 2–3 minutes. Stir in the garlic. Add the rice and stir with a wooden spoon over medium-low heat for 3 minutes.

Add the spinach; cover and cook until the spinach loses most of its volume. Add the water, fennel (or dill), and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer, covered, stirring occasionally until all the liquid is absorbed and the rice is cooked and very tender, 25-30 minutes. Add more water halfway through as needed to achieve a creamy consistency. Add the lemon juice 3 minutes before the end.

Variation

Spinach-Bulgur Pilaf: A generation ago, bulgur wheat was less expensive and more prevalent than rice, and many of the vegetable pilafs we know today were made, in fact, with bulgur. For this pilaf, simply substitute the same quantity of coarsely milled bulgur for the rice and cook the same way. You can substitute coarse bulgur in any vegetable pilaf.

Cookbook author, television host and chef Diane Kochilas shares this recipe from her recent book Ikaria: Lessons on Food, Life, and Longevity from the Greek Island Where People Forget to Die (Rodale 2014).

To learn more about healthy cooking, contact a VillaSport Personal Trainer or visit the Fitness Advice Center.

 Source: https://www.ideafit.com/fitness-library/recipe-for-health-spinach-rice-spanakorizo