Spinach recipes

WILTED

With Skirt Steak

Sear 8 ounces skirt steak in a large skillet over high heat, turning once. Remove, let pan cool a bit, then add 2 tablespoons butter and chopped spinach; stir until it wilts, 30 seconds or so. Add 3 tablespoons olive oil, 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar, 2 chopped tomatoes and 1/2 chopped red onion and cook another minute. Toss and top with the sliced steak; 1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese makes a nice garnish.

With Bacon

Render 4 thick bacon slices in olive oil until nearly crisp, then remove. Toss spinach with a sprig of tarragon in the rendered fat to wilt; add 1/2 pound chopped mushrooms instead of tomatoes and onion; skip the cheese and top with bacon.

With Chicken

Substitute chicken breast for steak; cook in olive oil, browning well. Wipe pan clean. Melt 3 tablespoons butter and add spinach to wilt. Add tomatoes and a handful of chopped scallions; skip the rest. Top with sliced chicken and fresh lemon juice.

STEAMED

With Parmesan

Put washed-and-still-wet spinach in a covered pot over medium-high heat. Put 2 to 4 tablespoons butter in a small saucepan over medium heat; stir occasionally until foam subsides and butter turns nut brown. When spinach is tender, after 3 to 5 minutes, drain, drizzle with butter and add 1/2 cup each toasted bread crumbs and shaved Parmesan; toss to combine.

With or Without Anchovies

Toast 2 cloves garlic in the butter, then add 1/2 cup raisins and 2 tablespoons pine nuts. (Anchovy lovers: now’s your chance.) Toss the spinach with this mixture instead of the bread crumbs and cheese.

With Cashews

Use 2 tablespoons sesame oil instead of butter, and stir in 1 chopped green chili. Add 3/4 cup cashews; cook until the cashews brown lightly. Toss with spinach, then add ¼ cup chopped scallions and 2 tablespoons lime juice. Garnish: Lime wedges.

BRAISED

With Eggs

Put 4 tablespoons butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. When it melts, add spinach, one handful at a time, stirring, and sauté until it wilts, about 5 minutes. Form 4 nests in the spinach and crack an egg in each. Cover and cook until egg whites are set, about 4 minutes. Garnish: Shaved Parmesan.

With Mussels

Chop 1 white onion and sauté it in the melted butter; add 3 tablespoons white wine. Cook spinach in this as above, and substitute 1 pound mussels for the eggs; cook until they open. Garnish: Fresh parsley.

With Soy and Ginger

Skip the butter. Put 2 tablespoons sesame oil in a large saucepan, along with 2 cloves minced garlic, 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger and 1 tablespoon soy sauce. Add spinach and braise until completely wilted and soft, about 10 minutes.

SUPERSLOW-COOKED

With Cream

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a deep skillet over medium-low heat; add a quarter of the spinach and cook, stirring occasionally, until the spinach has absorbed the butter; then add another tablespoon butter and more spinach and stir; repeat until the spinach is all used. Add 1 cup cream and cook until the cream is thick, at least 15 minutes. Optional: Grated nutmeg to taste.

With Indian Spices

Skip butter; use neutral oil. Sauté 2 onions and 1 clove minced garlic with 1 teaspoon each cumin, coriander and cardamom. Add 1 cup coconut milk, a few tablespoons at a time, alternating with handfuls of spinach. Cook, stirring occasionally, until coconut milk is thick, 1 hour. Add 1/2 cup chickpeas and heat through.

With rice and Carrots

Put 1/2 pound carrots and 6 cups water in a pan on high heat. Bring to a boil, then add 1/2 cup rice. When it returns to a boil, add spinach and simmer. Cook, stirring, until carrots are tender, 1/2 hour. Add 3 cloves minced garlic and 2 tablespoons butter.

Hot Spinach Artichoke Dip in a Bread Bowl

Ingredients 2 Panera Sourdough Bread Bowls 1 Panera Asiago or Three Cheese Loaf 1 cup baby-cut carrots 2 ribs celery, cut into 2-inch lengths 1 tablespoon olive oil ½ cup finely chopped red onion 1 ½ teaspoons minced garlic 1 cup light sour cream ½ cup light mayonnaise 1 package (10 ounces) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry 1 jar (6 ounces) marinated artichoke hearts, drained and finely chopped ¾ cup grated Parmesan cheese ¼ teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon paprika

Directions
Preheat oven to 350ºF. Cut out top of both Panera Sourdough Bread Bowls as if making a jack-o’-lantern out of a pumpkin. Remove bread from inside, leaving about a 1” shell of crust. Cut removed bread into 1” cubes and transfer to a serving bowl. Wrap the bread bowls in heavy-duty foil and bake until warmed through, 10 to 15 minutes.

Cut Panera Asiago or Three Cheese Loaf into 1” cubes and transfer to large serving platter. Arrange carrots and celery on platter as well.

Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onions and cook until soft, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 minute. Reduce heat to low and stir in sour cream, mayo, spinach, artichoke hearts, cheese, salt and paprika. Cook until heated through, 1 to 2 minutes.

Unwrap warm bread bowls and spoon-dip into the two bowls. (Or divide evenly between the two bowls.) Serve immediately with bread cubes, carrots and celery.

Serves 10-12
Prep: 8 mins
Cook: 15 mins
(Panera Bread recipe)

Hot Spinach Dip

Ingredients:

• 2 teaspoons olive oil, plus more for baking dish
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 pounds spinach, cleaned, trimmed, and coarsely chopped
• 1/2 cup milk
• 6 ounces reduced-fat bar cream cheese
• 3 dashes Worcestershire sauce
• 3 dashes hot sauce, such as Tabasco
• 3/4 cup shredded mozzarella
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• Baguette slices, breadsticks, or crackers, for serving

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a Dutch oven or large pot, heat oil over medium. Add onion and garlic; cook until lightly browned, 5 to 8 minutes.

2.  Add spinach in two additions, letting the first batch wilt before adding the next; cook until completely wilted, 5 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a colander; drain, pressing to release all excess liquid.

3. In the same pot, warm milk over high heat. Whisk in cream cheese until melted, about 3 minutes. Add spinach, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, and 1/4 cup mozzarella; stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper. Pour into a lightly oiled 1 1/2-quart shallow baking dish; sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup mozzarella.

4. Bake until bubbly and golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Serve hot with accompaniments, as desired.

Green Beans, Potatoes and Spinach in Coconut Curry

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup cooking oil
• 2 1/2 cups pureed tomatoes
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1 tbsp ground black mustard seeds
• 1 tbsp crushed cayenne pepper (this amount will make it quite spicy, so cut back if you don't want your curry so hot)
• 1 cup water
• 1 lb potatoes, unpeeled, and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
• 1/2 lb green beans, trimmed and cut in 1 inch pieces
• 1/2 cups coconut milk
• 1/2 lb fresh spinach, washed and chopped

Directions

1. Place oil and tomatoes in a medium pot on medium-high heat and cook for 1 minute. Add salt, turmeric, mustard seeds and cayenne, stir and saute for 3 to 4 minutes or until oil glistens in the bubbles of the boiling tomatoes. Stir in water and potatoes and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover and cook for 10 minutes.

2. Remove the lid and stir in the green beans. Cover and cook an additional 5 to 8 minutes, or until potatoes are cooked through. Stir in coconut milk and increase heat to medium. Bring to a boil, then stir in spinach, cover and reduce the heat to low. Cook for 1 minute, or until spinach wilts into the curry. Serve immediately.

Andalusian Chickpea and Spinach Soup

A simple peasant soup that is often served with toasted or fried bread doused with vinegar, pine nuts, hard-boiled egg and parsley added at the end, this is a filling and comforting soup that is still suitable for a late spring/early summer meal.

Ingredients

1 cup chickpeas, washed, picked over and soaked for 4 hours or overnight in 1 quart water

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 14-ounce can chopped tomatoes with juice, or 1 pound tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped

2 teaspoons sweet paprika

1 pound potatoes, peeled and diced

1/4 cup dry white wine

Salt to taste

Pinch of saffron

1 pound spinach , stemmed, washed thoroughly in 2 changes of water, and coarsely chopped

Freshly ground pepper

Directions

1. Drain the chickpeas and combine with 1 quart fresh water in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, cover and simmer 1 hour. Add salt to taste and continue to simmer until tender, 30 minutes to an hour.

2. Heat the oil over medium heat in a heavy soup pot and add the onion. Cook, stirring, until tender, about 5 minutes. Add 2 of the garlic cloves and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes, paprika and a generous pinch of salt and cook, stirring often, until the tomatoes cook down to a fragrant sauce, 10 to 15 minutes.

3. Add the chickpeas with their liquid, the potatoes, wine, more salt to taste, pepper, and 2 cups water. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low and cook until the potatoes are tender, about 30 minutes.

4. Stir in the remaining garlic, the saffron and the spinach and simmer another 5 minutes. Add freshly ground pepper, taste and adjust seasoning, and serve.

Variations: You can add toasted bread, plain or doused with vinegar, when you add the spinach, for a thicker soup.

Yield: 6 servings.

Advance preparation: You can make this through Step 3 up to a day ahead. You might want to hold off adding the spinach until you reheat, if you want it to have a nice color. Bring the soup to a simmer and proceed with Step 4.

Nutritional information per serving (6 servings): 259 calories; 7 grams fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 4 grams monounsaturated fat; 0 milligrams cholesterol; 41 grams carbohydrates; 10 grams dietary fiber; 79 milligrams sodium (does not include salt to taste); 11 grams protein