Best Spinach Rice Pilaf Recipes

RICE, LENTIL, AND SPINACH PILAF

Steps:

• Place lentils in saucepan and cover with cold water.
• Bring to boil, reduce heat and cover.
• Simmer for 25 to 40 minutes, until tender but not mushy; drain and set aside.
• Meanwhile, bring the rice and 2 cups of water to a boil.
• Reduce heat and simmer rice about 20 minutes, covered, until all liquid is absorbed; set aside.
• Bring the vegetable stock to a boil in a saucepan.
• Add onions and simmer until tender and translucent, approx 10 minutes.
• Add the garlic, celery, cumin and cinnamon and simmer for 5 minutes longer.
• Add the lentils and lemon zest (and tomatoes, if desired); heat through.
• Add the greens; cook and stir until tender.
• Fold the lentil and greens mixture into the rice.
• Season with salt and pepper.
• Note: You may make this ahead of time and place in a baking pan, cover with foil, and warm in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes.

SPINACH-FETA RICE PILAF, SLICED STEAK WITH OREGANO SAUCE, AND BROILED TOMATOES WITH PARSLEY

Steps:

• For the rice: Heat a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil and 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat in a saucepot with tight fitting lid. To the melted butter, add the orzo and lightly toast. Add the onion and cook to soften, 5 minutes. Stir in the rice and 1 1/2 cups of stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes. Preheat the broiler.
• For the beef: Heat a cast iron griddle or a grill pan over medium-high heat. Coat flank steaks in extra-virgin olive oil and season liberally with salt and pepper. When the grill is very hot, cook the meat 10 to 12 minutes for medium-rare or 15 minutes for medium, turning occasionally. When the meat has been cooking for about 5 minutes, start the sauce in a small saucepot over medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, garlic, shallot, chile pepper, and oregano. Stir 2 to 3 minutes, and then add the butter. When the butter melts, stir in the lemon juice and remove from heat.
• For the rice: Add the remaining splash of stock along with the spinach to a food processor and process to a fine chop. Stir the spinach into the rice and season with nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Cover, turn off the heat, and let stand 2 more minutes. Fluff the rice with fork and stir in the feta.
• For the tomatoes: Season halved tomatoes with salt and pepper and top with parsley. Drizzle the tomatoes liberally with extra-virgin olive oil and broil 3 to 4 minutes. Allow the meat to rest a bit then very thinly slice against the grain. Serve the sliced steak with a side of rice, a spoon of sauce over top, and a 2 tomato halves per person.;

SPINACH AND LEMON RICE PILAF

Steps:

• Bring the stock to a boil, add rice, reduce heat to low and simmer till done. (About 40 minutes).
• Melt the butter in a frying pan, add spinach, carrot and green onions, saute over medium low heat till spinach is wilted and vegetables softened, about 2 minutes.
• Stir vegetable mixture and lemon juice into hot cooked rice, fluff with fork and serve.

RICE PILAF WITH SPINACH

Steps:

• 1. Make rice per package directions.
• 2. When rice is done cooking and ready to set, add the package of baby spinach (don't worry--it will look like a LOT of spinach, but it will be fine) and re-cover.
• 3. Let set covered three or more minutes to steam the spinach.
• 4. Uncover and stir until everything is blended together beautifully (see, I told you the amount of spinach would be reasonable). If needed, re-cover and let steam some more if the spinach is still too separate.
• 5. Serve and enjoy.

SPINACH RICE PILAF

Steps:

• Heat oil in pan until hot. Saute carrot, onion, leeks and celery for 5 minutes. Add rice; saute 1 minute.
• Add tomatoes; saute 2 minutes. Add all but 2 Tbsp stock. Bring to simmer; add salt and pepper. Cover; cook 10 minutes.
• Add spinach; stir. Add remaining stock, if needed, and herbs. Cover; cook 5 minutes.

WILD RICE PILAF WITH ROASTED GARLIC AND SPINACH

Steps:

• 1. Preheat oven to 425°F. 2. Cut the tops off the garlic bulbs, dunk bulbs in water, and cover in foil. Place in a small baking dish and bake for 35 minutes. 3. In a medium saucepan, combine the broth, paprika, black pepper, and crushed red pepper. Bring to a boil. Stir in brown and wild rice and bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to low. Cook for 50 to 60 minutes or until the rice is tender and the broth is fully absorbed. 4. While the rice is cooking, wash the spinach thoroughly and chop. Set aside. 5. When the garlic is done, allow to cool slightly, and squeeze out the garlic cloves. Mash with a fork. 6. Once rice is cooked, stir in spinach and roasted garlic. Season with salt.

RICE PILAF WITH SPINACH AND CARAMELIZED ONIONS

Steps:

• Heat oil in heavy large wide pot over medium heat. Add onions; sauté until tender and deep brown, about 20 minutes. Transfer 1/2 cup onion slices to small bowl and reserve. Add carrot, cumin, and garlic to onions in pot; stir 1 minute. Stir in rice. Add broth; bring to boil. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer until rice is tender and most liquid is absorbed, about 15 minutes. Stir spinach into rice mixture; cover and cook until spinach wilts, about 2 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer pilaf to bowl; top with reserved 1/2 cup onion slices.

RICE AND WHEAT BERRY PILAF WITH BABY SPINACH

Steps:

• Place wheat berries in heavy medium saucepan. Add enough cold water to saucepan to cover wheat berries by 3 inches. Let stand overnight. Drain.
• Bring 4 cups water, wheat berries and 3/4 teaspoon salt to boil in same saucepan. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until wheat berries are tender but still slightly firm to bite, about 1 hour. Drain.
• Heat oil in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add rice and garlic; stir 1 minute. Stir in remaining 1 3/4 cups water and 3/4 teaspoon salt; bring to boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook until liquid is almost absorbed and rice is tender, about 15 minutes. Add spinach and cooked wheat berries; stir until spinach wilts and wheat berries are heated through, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Serve hot.
• *Also called hard wheat berries. Available at most natural foods stores.
• **Available at Indian markets and many supermarkets.

SUN-DRIED TOMATO SPINACH RICE PILAF

Steps:

• Heat olive oil over medium heat.
• Add minced onion and garlic and saute for 2 minutes.
• Add the sun-dried tomatoes and saute another minute.
• Add the Jasmine rice and saute one minute.
• Add the salt, pepper, bouillon cubes and water and stir.
• Cover and bring to a boil.
• Reduce heat when boiling and simmer 15 minutes. (No peaking! Do not remove the lid while cooking!).
• After 15 minutes, remove from heat and stir in the fresh spinach and lemon juice.
• Cover and let steam 15 minutes. Voila!

SPINACH, MUSHROOM & LEMON RICE PILAF

Steps:

• Cook the onion and garlic in the butter in a large shallow pan until soft and golden.
• Add the mushrooms and cook until softened. Add the spices and cook for 2 minutes, then stir in the rice, lemon zest and stock. Cover.
• Cook on a gentle heat for about 15 minutes until the liquid has been absorbed.
• Stir through the spinach and lemon juice, cover for 2 minutes until wilted and serve.

SPINACH RICE PILAF WITH FETA

Steps:

• To start rice heat a drizzle of olive oil and 2 T of butter over medium heat in a saucepan with tight fitting lid. To this add the orzo and lightly toast. Add the onion and cook to soften about 5 minutes. Stir in the rice and 1 1/2 cups of chicken stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat cover and simmer for 15 min. Put spinach into food process and process to a fine chop. Stir the spinach into the rice and season with nutmeg, salt and pepper. Cover, turn off heat and let stand for 2 minutes. Fluff the rice and stir in the feta.

SPINACH-FETA RICE PILAF, SLICED STEAK WITH OREGANO SAUCE, AND BROILED TOMATOES WITH PARSLEY

Steps:

• Steak:
• Tomatoes:
• For the rice: Heat a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil and 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat in a saucepot with tight fitting lid. To the melted butter, add the orzo and lightly toast. Add the onion and cook to soften, 5 minutes. Stir in the rice and 1 1/2 cups of stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes.Preheat the broiler.For the beef: Heat a cast iron griddle or a grill pan over medium-high heat. Coat flank steaks in extra-virgin olive oil and season liberally with salt and pepper. When the grill is very hot, cook the meat 10 to 12 minutes for medium-rare or 15 minutes for medium, turning occasionally.When the meat has been cooking for about 5 minutes, start the sauce in a small saucepot over medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, garlic, shallot, chile pepper, and oregano. Stir 2 to 3 minutes, and then add the butter. When the butter melts, stir in the lemon juice and remove from heat.For the rice: Add the remaining splash of stock along with the spinach to a food processor and process to a fine chop. Stir the spinach into the rice and season with nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Cover, turn off the heat, and let stand 2 more minutes. Fluff the rice with fork and stir in the feta.For the tomatoes: Season halved tomatoes with salt and pepper and top with parsley. Drizzle the tomatoes liberally with extra-virgin olive oil and broil 3 to 4 minutes.Allow the meat to rest a bit then very thinly slice against the grain. Serve the sliced steak with a side of rice, a spoon of sauce over top, and a 2 tomato halves per person.