Have you ever wondered if there is something different you can do with spinach besides serving it in a salad? How about creamy cardamom wilted spinach! I’ve used wilted spinach in a pasta dish a couple of times but I wanted something different to serve with the grilled chicken thighs I was making for dinner.
MaryJo was at a thrift store a few days ago and picked up this great cookbook from Stonewall Kitchen, so I was thumbing through it and found this recipe. Stonewall Kitchen was started in 1991 by two entrepreneurs selling jams and sauces at a farmers’ market in Maine. The company now produces a wide range of high quality specialty foods and includes a restaurant, 6,000 wholesale customers, and catalog sales with everything from kitchen ware to linens.
I made this recipe twice within just a few days. The first time I bought all the ingredients at a chain grocery store here in Minnesota where 20 ounces of baby spinach cost $12. It was great but that price wasn’t.
A couple of days later, MaryJo was at Costco and brought home a 2.5 pound bag of baby spinach for $4.99 so I made it again! You could probably make this with frozen spinach that you first thaw, which would be cheaper. Or better yet, go to your local farmers’ market and buy from a grower.
So try this excellent recipe and serve it with nearly any meat. It has a sophisticated flavor that you will want to make on special occasions. And if you should happen to have leftovers, they’re excellent too.
Enjoy!
Ingredients
- 20 ounces fresh baby spinach , divided
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil , divided
- 2/3 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Add half the oil to a large skillet and heat on medium.
- Add 10 ounces of the spinach, one handful at a time, stirring and letting each handful wilt before adding another handful. This will take 4 or 5 minutes.
- Remove spinach to a large dinner plate and set aside. Repeat with the remaining oil and 10 ounces of spinach, another 4 or 5 minutes.
- Add the second batch of wilted spinach to the plate and use another same-size plate set bottom down over the spinach and carefully squeeze the two plates together over a sink to get out the excess water.
- Chop the drained spinach coarsely, then return it to the skillet, and cook, stirring, over medium heat to evaporate more water, 1 or 2 minutes.
- Add the cream, cardamom, and nutmeg, and stir until slightly thickened, about 3 minutes.
- Taste and adjust seasonings. Remove from heat and serve hot.
Nutrition
Really good side dish that we had with grilled chicken and marinated tomatoes.