Creamed Spinach Lightened Up Recipes

LIGHTENED-UP CREAMED SPINACH

Steps:

• Squeeze spinach hard with your hands to remove as much water as possible. Place spinach on a cutting board, chop it roughly and set aside. Heat butter and olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high until butter foams. Reduce heat to medium, add shallots and cook, stirring, until shallots soften and begin to brown, two or three minutes.
• Add spinach and season with salt, pepper and nutmeg to taste. Cook, stirring, until ingredients are combined and spinach is heated through. Remove from heat and add half and half, stirring to combine well. Serve immediately.

EASY CREAMED SPINACH

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add spinach, and cook just until wilted, about 1 minute. Drain in a colander; rinse with cold water until cool. Squeeze spinach to remove as much liquid as possible; coarsely chop, and set aside.
• In a large saucepan, heat butter over medium. Add onion and garlic; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion softens, 3 to 5 minutes.
• Add cream cheese and milk; cook, stirring, until cream cheese is melted and smooth. Stir in spinach. Simmer over medium heat until mixture thickens, 8 to 10 minutes. Add nutmeg; season with salt and pepper.

FAST AND EASY CREAMED SPINACH

Steps:

• Pour olive oil into a large soup pot, place over high heat, add spinach, and cover. Cook for 1 minute, uncover, and lightly stir until most of the leaves are bright green and wilted, about 2 minutes. Quickly drain spinach in a strainer and transfer to a plate lined with 4 or 5 paper towels. Once cool enough to handle, squeeze as much liquid from the spinach as possible. Transfer spinach to a cutting board and coarsely chop.
• Mix salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper, and nutmeg in a small bowl.
• Place a large skillet over medium heat, melt butter in skillet, and stir shallot in the hot butter until just barely golden and translucent, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir seasoning mixture into shallot mixture and pour in cream. Raise heat to medium-high and reduce cream sauce to about half, about 5 minutes. Stir in lemon zest.
• Reduce heat to low and toss spinach with cream sauce in skillet. Cook and stir until spinach is heated through and coated, about 2 minutes. Stir Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese into spinach until thoroughly combined; serve immediately.