Greek · Authentic-ish Greek
Spanakorizo
391 kcal a serving, against 759 for the traditional version. That is 368 kcal off, or 48%, with 23.2g of protein. Serves 4. 40 minutes.
What the traditional version is
A thick, heavy stew of short-grain rice and spinach. The dish is built entirely on the ladera technique, meaning the base ingredients are effectively boiled in a heavy mixture of olive oil and water. It is heavily seasoned with fresh lemon juice and dill, then usually topped with a massive block of feta and another generous glug of raw oil just before it hits the table.
What changed, and what each change costs
120g of olive oil down to 15g
Ladera cooking treats oil as a primary liquid, which drives the fat content through the roof. Dropping it to a single spoon forces the stock and the lemon juice to do the heavy lifting in the pan.
What it costs you. You lose that incredibly slick, rich mouthfeel. The broth feels much lighter and thinner on the palate.
300g of rice down to 150g, bumping the spinach up to 800g
White rice is pure starch. Slashing the grain in half and doubling the greens completely changes the physical structure of the bowl.
What it costs you. So: a wet vegetable stew with rice suspended in it. A thick, starchy rice porridge anymore was never on the table once the fat came out.
150g of feta swapped for poached eggs and 0% Greek yoghurt
Feta brings a massive amount of fat to the party. Eggs deliver a huge punch of lean mass, and the cold yoghurt provides the sour, creamy tang you want with the cooked spinach.
What it costs you. You lose the firm, salty crumble of traditional Greek cheese. The poached eggs make it feel slightly more like a brunch dish than a hearty rustic dinner.
The numbers
| Per serving | Traditional | Lightened |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 759 | 391 |
| Protein | 20.6g | 23.2g |
| Fat | 41.1g | 11.7g |
| Saturated fat | 10.2g | 2.8g |
| Carbohydrate | 78.2g | 50.8g |
| Protein per 100 kcal | 2.7g | 5.9g |
Every figure is computed from the recipe's own weighed ingredient list against public food composition databases. The appendix in Authentic-ish Greek prints the exact database row used for each ingredient, so any number here can be checked.
Allergens. milk, eggs, celery.
The method is in the book
I genuinely prefer this lighter approach to the original ladera version. The massive pile of spinach gives you a bright, earthy bowl of food that doesn't weigh you down for the rest of the day. The hot, runny egg yolk mixes with the cold yoghurt and sharp lemon to create a rich sauce that entirely replaces the need for heavy glugs of raw oil.
The quantities and the method for this dish are in Authentic-ish Greek, along with 56 more. Buy the paperback