Leia's Spinach

Leia’s Spinach…

One day I went to visit one of my best friends at her home in Brooklyn. She made me a nice dinner with a lovely sauteed spinach dish on the side. This is the dish.

It was so simple to do, so I call this dish “Leia’s Spinach”, in honor of my Greek-American friend, Leia, who taught me how to make sauteed spinach.

There are only four ingredients: spinach leaves, olive oil, garlic, and lemon. And some salt and pepper to taste. How fun is that? Sauteed spinach takes just a few minutes to make as well. I love that. Health in a nutshell.

Spinach leaves, as well as other dark leafy greens, add a lot of nutrients to your diet. And spinach is good for your gut health—for a healthy gut microbiome.

Ingredients:

(serves 2)

Spinach, 1 bag (10 ounces)

organic cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil, 1 tablespoon

garlic cloves, 2-4

lemon, one half

sea salt

black pepper

Utensils:

large sauté pan or heavy dutch oven pot

wooden spoon

cutting board

small paring knife

measuring spoon

1. Warm up your saute pan on low to medium heat. Once the pan is warmed up, add one tablespoon of olive oil. Always watch your oil once you put it in the pan. Never leave oil unattended…ever.

2. Once the oil is warm, and has a slight shimmery consistency, toss in the pressed, crushed garlic cloves. Keep the saute pan on low heat. Stir the crushed garlic cloves well. Saute with a wooden spoon. Make sure the crushed garlic cloves do not burn or brown too quickly.

3. Add spinach leaves to the crushed garlic and olive oil. Stir well with a wooden spoon.

4. Keep stirring the spinach and garlic until the spinach wilts and is a bright green color. This should take just a few minutes. Add a touch of salt and black pepper.

5. Once the spinach is done, add a squeeze of lemon for a bit of vibrancy. Serve your sauteed spinach immediately. Enjoy!

Options:

1. Try lime instead of lemon.

2. Add chopped collard greens (large stems removed), chopped Swiss chard (large stems removed), chopped mustard greens, or chopped bok choy instead of spinach.

3. Add diced shallots instead of garlic.

4. Add diced onion instead of garlic.

5. Add sliced mushrooms to the mix.

6. This veggie side dish makes a great addition to any meal.

July 13, 2019; recipe 24