Food: an English girls take on spinach rice

When it comes to cooking Cypriot food, there are two ways of doing it. The traditional Cypriot way, or my way, which is the English girl trying to cook Cypriot food and failing miserably way. I usually end up with a ridiculously messy kitchen and a vaguely Cypriot style dish. Lets take spinach rice as a case in point. 

Spinach rice, otherwise known as Spanakorizo (σπανακόρυζο) is for me, one of those creamy, hot Cypriot comfort food dishes that would be perfect on a freezing cold winters day and can be served as a side dish or as a meal in its own right. It should be made with onions, rice, tomatoes and spinach.

There is a great recipe on one of my favourite food blogs, Souvlaki for the Soul which is the work of Peter, a photographer who blogs about food and travel, all the while tapping into his Greek heritage. I could spend hours here, pouring over the fantastic recipes and being mesmerised by the beautiful photographs of food; two of my favourite things!

So instead of following a recipe for my spinach rice, I decided to throw caution to the wind and go with the flow and voila. Spinach rice by an English girl. The boyfriends grandmother would be so disappointed if she saw this. Because in Cyprus grandmothers are queens of the kitchen. Actually most grandmothers around the world are queens of the kitchen...why is that? 

So my spinach rice has no tomato, but does have rice, spinach and sweetcorn. For flavour I also added some olive oil, wholegrain mustard, lemon and salt. 

I promise one day I will cook a Cypriot dish that I don't put my own spin on. Until then, I will enjoy the cooking to the boyfriends granny. Well I have to do my research right!?

Souvlaki Bar - Themistokli Dervi Ave, Nicosia

Souvlaki Bar in Nicosia is one of my favourite places to eat.

The food is great, portions are generous and the prices are pocket friendly; a big sticking point now that Cyprus is feeling the squeeze.

Now for all you people that are thinking what is s-o-u-v-l-a-k-i lets have a little lesson in Greek food.

Souvlaki (or Souvlakia) is a Cypriot kebab. Usually it's cubes of pork, or sometimes chicken, cooked on charcoals on a rotating barbeque. The meat is served in a large pitta with a salad that most commonly includes cabbage, tomato, cucumber and onion. A traditional Cypriot kebab also comes as a "mix" which includes souvlaki and sheftalia (a Cypriot sausage/meatball type thing).

And then there is gyros; a more fatty, moist kebab, with pork or chicken cooked on a vertical spit.
Oh the possibilities are endless. 

So back to Souvlaki Bar - this place offers a modern take on the whole kebab experience. It has a great outside area, does the whole industrial/rustic furnishing thing and serves up everything in great style; check out the chips served in a big silver scooper. 

And of course I can recommend some of the bits and pieces they have on their generous menu; the chips with feta and oregano are seriously yummy, the chicken without the bone has great flavour and is super moist and the Souvlaki Bar special salad (pictured above) is gyros, with lettuce, cucumber and tomato and a great creamy zesty dressing that I could eat with a spoon. So simple but oh so yummy!

If your in Nicosia and want a traditional kebab experience, in a modern environment, without the scary local old men shouting Greek at each other across white plastic tables (people in, expats or visitors to Cyprus will know exactly what I mean) .....go to Souvlaki Bar. 

Kathara Deftera (otherwise known as no-meat-day)

Today marks the first day of Lent in the Greek Orthodox calender. And while we will probably be giving up more than we bargained for, Kathara Deftera (or Green Monday) traditional is the start of the fasting period here in Cyprus. 

And they take their fasting quite seriously, especially the older generations who seriously restrict their diet and remove any animal products from it completely. None of this i'll try and give up chocolate stuff we do in England. 

And if your in Cyprus on Kathara Deftera, don't be surprised if you look up into the skies and see hundreds of kites; a tradition which I still haven't got to the bottom of. 

What I do know is that I ate a lot of salad today; Rocket salad, Potato Salad, Beetroot Salad, Lagana bread (a flat bread with sesame seeds that is only made on Green Monday), Olives, Humous, Taramasalata and Tahini. 

And I havent moved for a fair few hours since the feast ceased. Maybe a meat free 40 days could be on the cards? Well if the banks dont reopen, it may be an enforced challenge!