Green rice — arroz verde —

Recipe from nytimes.com -- TO BE MADE cuz i haven't actually made it but this recipe brings back memories of my college days when my housemates would occasionally make this dish.   I should tell her that  I found the recipe to her cooking.

Green rice — arroz verde — is a great way to get your kids to eat spinach without realizing it. Serve this rice with just about anything — it has a fresh, herbal flavor. You can make the dish with brown rice, but it won’t have the usual vivid green color. If you use basmati, you’ll have a much larger yield, as basmati expands about twice as much as regular white rice.
Recipes for Health


2 cups chicken, vegetable or garlic stock, or water
1 cup tightly packed baby spinach
1/2 cup tightly packed cilantro leaves
Salt to taste
1 tablespoon canola oil or extra virgin olive oil
1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup long grain rice or basmati rice, rinsed several times with cold water
Salt to taste

1. Combine 1 cup of the stock or water with the spinach and cilantro in a blender, and blend at high speed until smooth. Place the remaining stock or water in a saucepan, and bring to a simmer.

2. Heat the oil in a medium-sized, heavy saucepan over medium heat, and add the onion. Cook, stirring, until tender, three to five minutes. Add a generous pinch of salt and the garlic and rice. Stir together for a few minutes until the rice is beginning to crackle. Add the simmering stock or water and salt to taste (I use about 3/4 teaspoon). Bring to a simmer, reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer five minutes.

3. Uncover, and stir in the blended green mixture from the blender. Rinse the blender with about 1/4 cup water, and add it to the rice. Stir once, raise the heat and bring to a simmer. Cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer 10 to 15 minutes or until all of the liquid has been absorbed by the rice. Turn off the heat, uncover and place a clean kitchen towel over the pot. Replace the lid, and allow the rice to stand undisturbed for 10 minutes. Fluff the rice with a spoon or fork, taste and adjust seasoning. Serve.

Yield: Serves four to six as a side dish.

Advance preparation: You can prepare this several hours ahead. When the rice is done, spread it in a lightly oiled baking dish, uncovered, and allow to cool completely. Then cover with foil, and when ready to serve, reheat in a 350-degree oven for 20 minutes.

Nutritional information per serving (based on four servings): 231 calories; 4 grams fat; 0 grams saturated fat; 0 milligrams cholesterol; 42 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram dietary fiber; 39 milligrams sodium (does not include salt added during cooking); 5 grams protein