22 February, 2010
Creamed spinach
Posted in : Sides & Appetizers, Vegetarian on by : wendland99$3.34 recipe / $0.56 serving
I made creamed spinach a couple weeks ago and then again this week to fine tune the recipe before posting. Between the two batches of creamed spinach, I found out how versatile the stuff is! I began putting it in everything from casseroles (I mixed it into myBacon Pesto Pasta Bake) to sandwiches, quesadillas or straight up on crackers. I’ve decided that creamed spinach should almost be a staple in my refrigerator. If you choose your ingredients right, it’s a fairly healthy way to sneak some dark green veggies into your day!
Total Recipe cost: $3.32
Servings Per Recipe: 6
Cost per serving: $0.56
Prep time: 5 min. Cook time: 15 min. Total: 20 min.
| INGREDIENTS | COST | |
| two 10 oz. boxes | frozen chopped spinach | $1.92 |
| 1/2 medium | yellow onion | $0.22 |
| 2 cloves | garlic | $0.12 |
| 2 cups | milk | $0.65 |
| 4 Tbsp | butter | $0.20 |
| 1/4 cup | all-purpose flour | $0.13 |
| 1/4 tsp or to taste | crushed red pepper | $0.05 |
| to taste | salt & pepper | $0.05 |
| TOTAL | $3.34 | |
STEP 1: Thaw your spinach and squeeze out excess water. I just use the microwave to thaw it (put it in a bowl to catch melting liquid) but you can leave it in your fridge for a day too. You do not need to squeeze out ALL of the water, I think some is fine and it holds a lot of spinach flavor.
STEP 2: Finely dice the onion and garlic. Saute until soft and translucent (not browned) in 4 Tbsp of butter over medium heat. This may seem like a lot of butter for half an onion and 2 cloves of garlic but you need 4 Tbsp for the roux to make sure there is enough thickening power for all of the milk.
STEP 3: Once the onions and garlic have cooked, it’s time to make the roux. Dump in the 4 Tbsp (or 1/4 cup) of flour and stir it into the melted butter well. Continue to cook this paste for 1-2 minute more over medium heat.
STEP 4: Add the 2 cups of milk and whisk until all of the flour/butter paste has dissolved. Let the mixture simmer until it is nice and thick (5-10 minutes). Add the salt, pepper and red pepper flakes to taste. The red pepper flakes are not necessary but I think it gives the creamed spinach a nice little kick… Too much and it will over power the fresh, delicate spinach flavor.
STEP 5: Stir in your spinach and you’re done! If your creamed spinach is still too liquidy, you can simmer it a little bit longer until the sauce reduces. Just remember that when it cools down it will thicken as well.
NOTE: Traditionally, nutmeg is the spice of choice for this cream sauce so if you’re not into red pepper, try nutmeg.
The second time I made this creamed spinach, I made half a batch and it was just enough for me. I had half an onion in my fridge waiting to be used up so instead of using only 1/4 onion (if truly halving the recipe), I used the entire half and it still tasted great. I have the container of creamed spinach in my fridge and, I kid you not, I’ve been eating a little bit with everything; breakfast, lunch and dinner!
I find that 2% lowfat milk is my favorite for this recipe because it is has enough fat to keep that creamy taste but not so much that this dish ends up being so heavy that I don’t feel like I’m truly eating vegetables. If you prefer a super rich creamy dish, use whole milk or even a splash of cream. Parmesan cheese melted in would also be divine… but I have to stop myself somewhere!
ref: http://budgetbytes.blogspot.com/2009/12/creamed-spinach-334-recipe-056-serving.html
