Greek Rice Bowl with Spinach, Feta and Pine Nuts
This is a light and healthy dinner with a fresh Greek flavor, suggested by longtime Scramble fan Mark Spindel. It’s so simple, yet unbelievably delicious!
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups white or quick-cooking brown rice
- 1/4 cup pine nuts or use sunflower seeds
- 1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
- 1 clove garlic minced, about 1/2 tsp.
- 12 - 18 oz. baby spinach
- 1/4 lemon juice only, about 1 Tbsp.
- 1/4 cup raisins or currants optional
- 1/8 - 1/4 tsp. salt or to taste
- 1/8 tsp. black pepper or to taste
- 1 cup crumbled feta cheese
Instructions
- Cook the rice according to the package directions.
- Meanwhile, lightly toast the pine nuts (or sunflower seeds) and set them aside.
- In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat and sauté the garlic for about 30 seconds, until it is just fragrant.
- Stir in the spinach, cover the pan, and reduce the heat to low. Steam the spinach until it is just wilted, about two minutes.
- To the spinach, add the lemon juice, pine nuts, and raisins or currants (optional), and stir it gently until it is warmed through. Season it with salt and pepper.
- Serve the rice in bowls, topped with the spinach mixture and feta cheese or refrigerate it up to 3 days.
Notes
Do Ahead or Delegate: Cook the rice, toast the pine nuts, peel the garlic, juice the lemon, crumble the cheese if necessary and refrigerate, or fully prepare and refrigerate the dish.
Scramble Flavor Booster: Double the garlic, and use a little extra salt and pepper.
Tip: Spinach and other dark leafy greens contain vitamin E, which is great for your muscles now (remember Popeye?) and beneficial for your brain down the road. A study from the Archives of Neurology determined that women that had a healthy degree of vitamin E in their diet were more likely to avoid developing dementia as they aged than those who consumed less. Avocados and peanuts are also good sources of vitamin E.
Nutritional Information Per Serving (% based upon daily values): Calories 400, Total Fat: 14g, 22%; Saturated Fat: 6g, 28%; Cholesterol: 25mg, 8%; Sodium: 470mg, 20%; Total Carbohydrate: 59g, 20%; Dietary Fiber: 3g, 10%; Sugar: 8g; Protein: 9g
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