Spinach recipes (for ellas mum - and everyone else!)

[dexterdoglancashire]

Ultimate creamed spinach from HFWs River Cottage Year

Serves 2 - 4

Wash and trim 500g fresh spinach, stripping out the coarse central stalks. Bring a large pan of salted water tot he boil. Blanch the spinach in 3 or 4 batches, putting a good handful of leaves into the boiling water and stirring them in. Bring back to the boil and boil for 1 minute. Remove the leaves from the water with a slotted spoon and refresh in cold water. Squeeze with your hands to extract as much water as possible before chopping the spinach.
Grate a small onion and 1/2 carrot and put in a pan with 300ml whole milk, a bay leaf, a couple of twists of black pepper and a few gratings of nutmeg. Bring almost to boiling point and leave to infuse for 10 minutes. Strain the hot milk inot a warmed jug discarding the herbs and vegetables.
Melt 50g butter in the pan and stir in 25g plain flour, mix to a roux. Cook this gently for a couple of minutes, then add half the warmed milk and stir in. When the sauce is thick and smooth, stir in the rest of the milk. Bring to the boil and simmer gently for 1 minute. Stir in the chopped spinach. Heat through but dont boil. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Serve with grated parmesan, gruyere or cheddar.

Bernie

[dexterdoglancashire]

Spinach, pea and feta cheese salad

Taken from Jamie Olivers The Naked Chef

Baby spinach, fresh pea and feta cheese salad

You need two handfuls of baby spinach, check of nasty stalks or wilted bits, and then give it a really good wash. Spin to dry and add to a salad bowl with two smaller handfuls of fresh peas. Dress the salad at the last minute with olive oil and lemon juice dressing and sprinkle feta cheese over the top.

Bernie

[dexterdoglancashire]

Crespoline

Taken from Good Housekeeping Cooks Year

Serves 4. Cooking time 40-50 minutes. Not suitable for freezing.

225g leaf spinach
175g ricotta cheese
pinch nutmeg
1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed
8 dried pasta cannelloni tubes (abour 75g
300ml tomato passata

parmesan sauce:
40g butter
25g plain flour
450ml milk
40g freshly grated parmesan cheese
salt and pepper

To make the parmesan sauce: melt the butter and stir in the flour cooking gently for a few minutes. Remove from the heat and gradually add the milk, whisking until smooth. Slowly bring to the boil, stirring. Simmer gently for 4 - 5 minutes whisking if necessary. Stir in the cheese and season to taste.

Wash the spinach and cook in a large saucepan with no added water, cook for 3 - 4 minutes or until wilted. Drain well, cool and chop.

Mix the spinach with the ricotta, nutmeg and garlic and season. Fill the pasta tubes.

Pour the tomato passata into an ovenproof dish and place the stuffed cannelloni on the top in a single layer. Pour over the cheese sauce. Leave to stand for 30 minutes.

Cook at 190C or 375F or gas mark 5 for 30 - 40 minutes or until piping hot and golden brown.

Bernie

[dexterdoglancashire]

Golden Cheese and spinach pudding

Taken from Good Housekeeping Cooks Year

Serves 4. Cooking time 35 minutes. Does not freeze.

450g spinach
600ml milk
3 eggs
60ml freshly grated parmesan
1/2 tsp chilli seasoning (not powder)
freshly grated nutmeg
salt and pepper
5 large thick slices white crusty bread
butter for greasing
225g gruyere cheese, grated

Cook the washed spinach in a pan with no added water until wilted. Drain throughly and squeeze out as much water as possible. Chop.

Whisk the milk, eggs, 3 tbsp parmesan, chilli seasoning and nutmeg. Season. Halve the slices of bread.

Place half the spinach in the bottom of a well butter 2 litre ovenproof dish. Cover with half of the bread and spinkle over two thirds of the gryere. Add the remaining spinach, top with the remaining bread. Pour over the egg and milk mixture. Press the bread gently into the milk.

Sprinkle over the remaining cheese and allow to stand for 30 minutes so that the bread absorbs the liquid.

Place the dish in a roasting tin and pour in hot water so that it comes halfway up the dish. Bake at 220C 425F mark 7 for about 30 minutes or until lightly pufed, lightly set and well browned.

Bernie

[dexterdoglancashire]

Spinach, bacon and roquefort salad

Taken from Good Houskeepings Cooks Year

Not suitable for freezing. Serves 4.

8 slices french bread, cut on the diagonal, 1" thick slices
120ml olive oil
175g streaky bacon or pancetta
50g pine nuts
60ml sesame oil
30ml red wine vinegar
pepper
125g washed baby spinach
125g rocquefort cheese, crumbled
175g black seedless grapes, halved

Brush both sides of the french bread with half of the olive oil. Place on a baking sheet. Chop the bacon and place on a second baking sheet. Cook at 230C 450F mark 8 for about 10 minutes or until the bread is golden brown and the bacon is cooked. Turn half way through.

Whisk the remaining olive oil with the sesame oil, vinegar and pepper.

Pile the spinach, bacon, cheese, pine nuts and grapes on the bread pieces. Pour on the dressing and toss well.

Bernie

Phew! I'm really hungry now!

[moggssue]

Thanks for those DDL - I need to go speak to my spinach plants, ask them to grow a little faster so I can try those yummy recipes!!

[Ellasmum]

Thanks so much DDl, fan bloomin tastic !!!!!!

[dexterdoglancashire]

To be fair, I havent tried them - I normally am boring and just steam my spinach/leaf beet with a bit of butter and nutmeg - cant wait for my crop to grow this year so I can get trying! Any feedback on the above most welcome! Bernie

[Earthbabe]

They sound delicious Bernie, thanks. I'll give them a try when I've sufficient crop.

[Alice]

Thanks for all the recipes DDL. The first one - Ultimate creamed spinach - works very well as it's one I use already. I use the same infused milk recipe for making bread sauce.
When you all get to the stage where you don't know where to put the spinach next (and you will) try this.
Make your lamb or chicken curry as you like it.
As it cooks, add spinach to the top of the pot. As it wilts in keep adding more spinach. Add as much as you like depending on how thick and green you like the sauce.
Lamb and spinach curry ! Yum, yum.

[blackcatlois]

Not long got back from Tunisia where at our hotel they would sometimes serve up spinach and garlic. Delicious! My daughter's made me cook it twice since we got back - I just slice fresh garlic and add to pot before steaming/microwaving your spinach as usual.

[dexterdoglancashire]

Actually Alice, I do have a curry recipe (somewhere!) that does include spinach/leaf beet - not too much, but lovely! Will try and dig it out, hope Ive still got it! Bernie