Creamed Spinach

Ahhhhh......remember when I could watch cooking shows all day long and then try out the recipes??? Big sigh....... I do. Good times, good times. Well, I still enjoy the cooking shows when I can squeeze them in and this recipe is thanks to my buddy, Anne Burrell. I’m not a big fan of spinach without all of the creamy goodness though. Of course, the way I like it really adds the calories, but not this recipe! Instead of heavy cream, Anne used milk and I went one step farther and used skim milk. This was really delicious and I didn’t feel like I was missing a thing without the heavy cream. Very tasty side dish!

Here’s what you need to do to get started:

Ingredients

• Extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 1/2 pounds washed baby spinach
• 1/2 small onion, finely diced
• Kosher salt
• 2 cloves garlic, smashed
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 cup milk
• Pinch cayenne pepper
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

Coat a large, straight-sided saute pan with olive oil and heat over medium heat. Add the spinach, cover and saute until gently wilted. Remove the spinach from the pan to a colander set inside a bowl to let the spinach drain and cool.

Remove any liquid from the bottom of the saute pan and coat lightly with olive oil. Heat the oil over medium heat, add the onions, and season with salt, to taste. Saute the onions until they are translucent and very aromatic, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add the garlic and saute for 2 to 3 more minutes. Add the butter, and when melted stir in the flour. Cook until it is the texture of wet sand, about 5 to 6 minutes. Whisk in the milk, cayenne pepper and Parmesan. Taste for seasoning and season with salt, if needed, (it will). Bring the milk to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 5 to 6 minutes, stirring occasionally, so the milk doesn't scorch on the bottom.

Add in the reserved spinach and stir to combine. Taste and adjust the seasoning, if needed. Transfer to a serving bowl and serve.

Enjoy!!

Creamed spinach isn't really that photogenic, is it, but it sure was tasty!