Oikos is a delightfully informal Greek Cypriot restaurant in suburban Miramar, Te Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington owned by Theo Papouis. After growing up and training in Aotearoa, he spent five years in Greece, which changed the way he cooked. “Everything made sense. The way in-season produce was worshipped, the severe protection of traditional methods, and the way people came around the table,” he writes in Oikos: An Ode to Food, Family & Friends. “There I learnt that food doesn’t have to be complicated to be delicious, and that with the right care and attention you can make the most delicious meal using the most humble ingredients.”

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Spanakorizo with Tomato

Serves 4-6

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There are a few versions of this but what they most certainly have in common is rice and spinach (spanakorizo quite literally means spinach rice). The tomato here gives depth and colour, and together with the spinach and leek, a bowl of this for dinner will leave you happy and content. It’s important to use good-quality short-grain rice here and don’t skimp on the olive oil (or chilli oil) to finish.

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Extra virgin olive oil

100g spring onion, sliced (approx 1 bunch)

100g leek, sliced (from approx 1-2 leeks)

1 tsp fine salt

Cracked black pepper

200g short-grain rice

500g spinach, cleaned weight, stalks removed

450ml water

1 small bunch dill, chopped

300g tomato passata

1½ lemons, juiced

What to do

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1. Heat a generous amount of olive oil in a wide pan (with a lid) to medium heat, add the spring onion, leek, salt and pepper. Sweat down, cooking for a few minutes.

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2. Add rice and continue to sauté, stirring continuously for 1 minute.

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3. Feed your spinach into the pan a handful at a time. As each handful wilts down it will create space for the next.

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4. Add the water, dill and tomato passata.

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5. Bring up to a simmer and place the lid back on top. As the water from the spinach releases, it will create more liquid for the rice to cook in.

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6. Simmer for 15-20 minutes or until rice is just cooked.

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7. Fold through the lemon juice, pop the lid back on and leave it to sit for 5 minutes to absorb the last of the liquid. Add another generous glug of olive oil and serve.

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Oikos

oikoscookbook.co.nz

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