This is a very simple side dish with lots and lots of green…spinach!
Ingredients:
1 bunch spinach
1½ cups long grain rice
2 tablespoons onion finely chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Parmesan cheese grated
Method:
Wash the spinach and boil in approximately 4 cups of water. Let it cook for 2 minutes. Drain the spinach and save the water from the spinach. Chop the spinach and set aside.
In a small pot add the olive oil and the onion, let the onion brown. Add the rice already washed and drained.
Saute the rice so it is covered with the olive oil. Add the chopped spinach and 2 ½ cups of the spinach liquid, salt and pepper. Bring the heat to high, once it starts to boil, lower the heat and let it simmer for approximately 20 minutes or until the liquid has been absorbed by the rice.
Top with parmesan cheese and serve hot.
Did you know that spinach is a rich source of iron and calcium? Moreover, spinach contains more iron than meat and other vegetables. But the iron in spinach is poorly absorbed by the body unless eaten with vitamin C, which is not the case of the iron found in meat. Nevertheless, spinach still has a large nutritional value, it is a rich source of vitamins A, C, E, K, magnesium, and several antioxidants. In addition spinach is an excellent source of manganese, folate, vitamin B12, B6, calcium, potassium, fiber, copper, protein, phosphorous, zinc, omega-3 fatty acids, niacin, and selenium. That explains why Popeye the Sailor Man loved spinach!
