Spring is all about the greens, and it’s tough to beat fresh, New Mexico-grown spinach sautéed with garlic and olive oil. It comes together quickly for a bright, tasty side to a meal.
A pound of fresh spinach cooks down to about a cup of cooked spinach.
Ingredients
(4 servings)
- 1 pound (about 10 cups) fresh New Mexico-grown spinach (don’t worry…it will cook down to about one cup of cooked spinach)
- 4 cloves garlic, minced (or to taste)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
Preparation
- Wash the spinach by soaking in water to allow any remaining grains of soil to fall off the leaves. Pick the spinach up OUT of the water; if you dump out the water with the spinach, the soil will just end up back on the leaves. Rinse the leaves and set aside.
- Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a deep skillet or frying pan.
- Add garlic and cook for about a minute, stirring frequently and keeping an eye on it to make sure it doesn’t burn. If it starts to brown quickly, turn down the heat.
- Fill the pan with as much spinach as it will hold (the remaining water on the leaves will cause the oil to pop if it’s too hot; be prepared to cover the pan with a lid if needed), and stir gingerly (tongs help with this). As the spinach wilts and more space becomes available, add more spinach and stir until all of the spinach is in the pan.
- Add the salt and pepper and toss the spinach for about two minutes until your last bit of spinach is just wilted; this method will give you spinach that is at different stages of “doneness,” and this is perfect for a dish that otherwise can become too wilted for peoples’ tastes.
- Remove from heat and serve. For some extra flavor add the juice of half a lemon, or a teaspoon of red pepper flakes.
Photos and recipe by Christina Keibler.
