Sauteed Spinach

After a long day yesterday I just wanted a healthy home cooked meal, and that is exactly what I got.  My husband and I worked together in the kitchen to make this dinner come together.  I love cooking with him!  We had scallops, sauteed spinach, and garlic rice pilaf.  I will blog on the scallops and rice soon!

We always have fresh spinach in the refrigerator for salads.  I never make cooked spinach because Alex doesn't really enjoy the texture.  I was craving this yummy green stuff and not in the form of a salad so I sauteed it.  These are simple ingredients to keep on hand for a healthy side.

The flavor was awesome!  Alex tossed a little too much salt on it when it was finished, but it still made for a great side dish!  It sounds like a large amount of spinach to cook, but it cooks down to a small amount perfect for about 4 people.

Garlic Sauteed Spinach
Source:  Barefoot Contessa

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 pounds baby spinach leaves
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons chopped garlic (6 cloves)
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper (we used the normal stuff:))
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter (could easily be left out to be dairy free)
• lemon

Directions:

Rinse the spinach well in cold water to make sure it is very clean.  Spin it dry in a salad spinner leaving just a little water clinging to the leaves.

In a very large pot or dutch oven, heat the olive oil and saute the garlic over medium heat for about 1 minute, but not until it is browned.  Add all the spinach, the salt, and pepper to the pot, toss it with the garlic and oil, cover the pot, and cook it for 2 minutes.  Uncover the pot, turn the heat on high, and cook the spinach for another minute, stirring with a wooden spoon, until all the spinach is wilted.  Using a slotted spoon, lift the spinach to a serving bowl and top with the butter, a squeeze of lemon and a sprinkling of sea or kosher salt.  Serve hot.