MObama’s Creamless Creamed Spinach (with Kale!)
This dish has been on my radar for a while, or, more precisely, since the Times published it on March 12, as a companion recipe to one of their first articles about Michelle Obama’s focus on getting America to eat better. They’ve since published article after article about her efforts to improve food in this country, particularly in the area of school lunch (and breakfast). They haven’t published any more recipes, though, I don’t think, so this is the closest you’ll get to a seat at the Obama’s dinner table for now.
One of the reasons this dish got so stuck in my mind, I think, is that it seemed too good to be true. Creamless creamed spinach?! Endorsed by Michelle Obama? Well, sadly it is too good to be true. Perhaps my addding some kale threw things off, but the whole thing basically tasted like wilted spinach to me, albeit with a little bit of a pureed consistency. Don’t get me wrong — it was good. But creamless creamed spinach this is not.
In the future, honestly, I might just forgo the pureeing step altogether and just wilt everything. But you know what? We don’t have a recipe for wilted spinach on FJ, I don’t think, and I love wilted spinach, so I thought I’d put it up anyway. The secret here is the impressive amount of shallots and garlic, which give the whole thing a pretty good flavor. If you are like me, though, you will feel an unstoppable desire to add some red pepper flakes at the end, too.
This, by the way, is an excellent dish for a dinner for one (with leftovers). I can never get enough wilted spinach, and when you make it for company, it wilts down to so little that everyone ends up with only a few bites. When you make it for just yourself, though, you can achieve Popeye levels of spinach intake.
No Cream Creamed Spinach (with Kale)
Adapted from the New York Times
Serves 6, they say, but I’d say it makes a hearty three portions
1 pound spinach, washed and cleaned, stems pulled off
1 pound kale, washed, stems cut out and chopped (like with this chard).
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 shallots, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
Salt and freshly ground pepper
red pepper flakes, to taste
1. Blanch half a pound of spinach, kale stems, and some kale leaves in salted, boiling water. Drain and squeeze out the excess water. Puree in a blender. Set aside.
2. In a large skillet, heat oil. Cook the shallots and garlic until translucent. Add the rest of the spinach and kale leaves. Toss and sauté until wilted. Fold in the spinach/kale puree. Season with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes.
this “creamless creamed spinach” recipe is a fitting metaphor for an administration that would have us believe we can expand health insurance to more people, have better quality care, all the while making it more affordable to the individual and not adding “one nickel” to the country’s deficit. i want a world with rainbows and unicorns too. your loyal republican junta reader, keith