Creamed Spinach and Arugula
This is not your Grandma's creamed spinach but an enhanced Mediterranean version that features baby spinach, peppery arugula, red bell peppers and garlic, finished with Pecorino Romano cheese and a dash of fresh lemon juice.
Servings: 8 (quarter-cup servings)
Calories: 253kcal
Equipment
- Microwave and microwave-safe bowl
- Tongs or a spider
Ingredients
- 10 ounces Baby Spinach and Arugula blend ( if you can't find a blend, use 5 oz. of each)
- 1 stick unsalted butter (8 tablespoons, divided)
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1¼ cups heavy cream
- ½ cup finely diced onion
- ½ cup finely diced red bell pepper
- 1-1½ teaspoons minced garlic ( adjust to your preference)
- ⅛ teaspoon garlic powder (optional)
- 1 tablespoon grated Pecorino Romano cheese
- ⅛ teaspoon ground white pepper
- salt to taste
- 1½ teaspoons fresh lemon juice
Instructions
- Place greens in a microwave safe bowl and top with 4 tablespoons of butter; microwave uncovered 1-2 minutes on high until greens are slightly wilted, but not soggy10 ounces Baby Spinach and Arugula blend
- In a large skillet on low heat, melt the other half of the butter; once melted sprinkle in flour and cook 1 minute; add onion and bell peppers; saute 1 minute then add garlic and cream2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, ½ cup finely diced onion, ½ cup finely diced red bell pepper, 1-1½ teaspoons minced garlic , 1¼ cups heavy cream
- Using tongs, transfer cooked greens to skillet and add cheese and pepper; taste for salt and adjust to your preference; add garlic powder (optional), sprinkle lemon juice over the mixture, stir and serve immediately⅛ teaspoon garlic powder (optional), 1 tablespoon grated Pecorino Romano cheese, ⅛ teaspoon ground white pepper, salt to taste, 1½ teaspoons fresh lemon juice
If you overcook the greens, they'll be super watery. In that case, do not add any residual liquid to the sauce. If you cook them briefly, you'll have somewhat fluffier greens with just a little melted butter. In this case, go ahead and add the butter to the sauce.
Optional: I strain some of the cream sauce out before serving because I don't want the greens drowning in sauce. See recipe notes below.
Notes
Yield:
The recipe as written makes about 2 cups of creamed spinach. If you serve ¼ cup servings, this recipe will serve 8 people.
About microwaving the greens:
The greens will shrink signifigantly and produce too much liquid if you overcook them. Just a minute or two in the microwave on high should do it.
About the cream sauce:
The cream sauce is probably more than you'll need. I strain the spinach mixture a little before serving because I don't want to serve creamed spinach that is drowning in sauce---your call here. If you strain it and don't think there's enough sauce, add some back in.
About the garlic:
Use fresh or jarred. Jarred garlic is milder than fresh. Generally speaking 1/2 tsp jarred is about equivalent to 1 clove of fresh.
Nutrition
Serving: 1cup | Calories: 253kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.5g | Cholesterol: 73mg | Sodium: 48mg | Potassium: 277mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 4517IU | Vitamin C: 23mg | Calcium: 74mg | Iron: 1mg