by ami » Sun Nov 06, 2011 12:04 pm
A Quick and Easy Veggie Side Dish
It’s easy being green — especially when it comes to eating vegetables. So if you’re looking for a simple yet delicious way to add more green veggies to meals, check out this healthy side dish. We’ve given a nutritious twist to this classic spinach recipe, which is the perfect complement to lean beef, pork, or poultry, or seafood entrées.
Quick Creamed Spinach (Phase 1)
Description
Using frozen spinach cuts down on the prep time of this classic dish. You can easily double or triple the recipe for a big holiday or family dinner.
Tip: When shopping for frozen spinach for this recipe, make sure to select a brand without added butter sauce.
Makes 4 servings
Hands-on time: 20 minutes
Total time: 20 minutes
Ingredients
1 bag (16 ounces) frozen spinach, thawed
3/4 cup fat-free milk
4 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese, cut into chunks and softened
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 small onion, minced
Pinch ground nutmeg
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese (1 ounce)
Instructions
Place the thawed spinach in a colander set over a large bowl; squeeze to extract the juice, reserving 2 tablespoons of the juice in a cup. Discard any remaining juice.
In a medium saucepan, combine the spinach juice, milk, and cream cheese. Bring to a simmer over low heat, stirring and pushing the cheese against the pan to break it up. (The mixture should be well combined but will not be smooth.) Remove the pan from the heat.
In a large nonstick skillet, heat the oil over medium-low heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, until softened, about 3 minutes.
Add the spinach, stirring to coat. Stir in the milk mixture and cook until bubbling, about 3 minutes.
Season the spinach with nutmeg and salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle with the Parmesan and serve hot.
Nutritional information
Per serving:
152 calories
9 g fat (4 g sat)
11 g carbohydrate
10 g protein
4 g fiber
313 mg sodium
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