"Spinach and rice" with tomato, parsley, lemon and wine in the skillet

The classic Greek vegetarian recipe of "Spanakoryzo" in a bit of a different version. The addition of parsley, tomato and wine makes this simple but delicious dish even more interesting!

Slightly adjusted from a recipe of Nana Dareioti,

"BHMAgourmet" magazine of "TO BHMA" newspaper (2011)

Ingredients (for 4 people):

6-7 tbsp of olive oil
1 large white onion, coarsely grated
1 tea-cup of long grain rice
3-4 Spring onions, finely chopped (both white and tender green part)
½ a bunch of flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
½ a bunch of dill, finely snipped
700gr. of fresh baby spinach leaves, well washed
100 ml of white dry wine
1 tbsp of tomato paste
salt
pepper
1 lemon, the juice

Method:
Roughly pull the spinach into pieces with your hands and wash well.

Throw into a pot with boiling water and blanch for 1-2 minutes. Transfer into a colander and drain thoroughly.

In a spacious and deep frying pan with a lid warm the oil on medium heat. Add the onion, the Spring onions and stir with a wooden spatula until they wilt and become translucent.

Add the rice and stir until it is well coated by the oil and becomes translucent too. Throw in the parsley, the spinach, the dill and stir 2-3 times. Pour over with the wine and allow the alcohol to evaporate for 2-3 minutes.

Add in the pan the tomato paste, 1 ½ tea-cup of water and season with salt and pepper. When the food comes to the boil, turn the heat to medium-low, cover with the lid and simmer for about 20 minutes.

Check if the rice is cooked and if not add just a bit of water and continue simmering for another 4-5 minutes. *** The food should be juicy with a nice medium-thick sauce left in the pan and the rice not over-cooked.

Serve on the plates, drizzle on the top with some lemon juice and season with some more pepper. It can be served while it is still hot or even at room temperature.

The best company for Spanakoryzo is a good quality of spicy Feta cheese and fresh rustic bread.