Wild Rice with Spinach, Lemon & Dill

I checked out Deborah Madison's "Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone" from the Providence Library two weeks ago and have made this rice dish three times since then...it is so good and so easy and feels so efficient - green vegetables and whole grains in a one pot wonder.


Nick pointed out that Two Blue Lemons has been kind of obsessed with dill these days - and I'm not really sure why (Anna?). I guess sometimes you just get hooked on something and all of a sudden you see / put it everywhere. I do think dill is underutilized (doesn't just have to go on cold beets, salmon, and pickles!) so hopefully these last few recipes will get people out to the store to pick up a fragrant bunch.

Wild Rice with Spinach, Lemon & Dill:
2 tbls olive oil, butter, or a mixture
1 cup finely chopped scallions, including an inch or two of the greens
1 cup wild or brown rice
1 large bunch spinach leaves, finely chopped
2 tbls chopped fresh dill
Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
Salt & freshly milled pepper

Warm the oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the scallions and cook, stirring frequently, until wilted, 3-4 minutes. Add the rice, spinach, dill, lemon zest, and 1/2 teaspoon salt: cook until the spinach has wilted. Add water quantity as per type of rice you're using (if using brown 2 1/4 cups). Bring to a boil, then lower the heat, cover, and cook until the liquid is absorbed (again depending on the rice you're using, just check the package for cooking time). Add the lemon juice and gently loosen the grains with a fork. Cover and let stand for 5 minutes. Season with pepper and serve.