- Prep Time: 20 min.
- Cook Time: 30 min.
- Yield: 4 servings
Creamed spinach is a staple on any traditional steakhouse menu. I’ve always thought of it as satisfying yet bland, so here’s my version, with plenty of fresh herbs, sour cream, and Myzitra cheese.
For the cream cheese, I actually prefer to use the Boursin brand of Gournay cheese. It is herbaceous, creamy, lower in fat than most cream cheeses, and comes in a variety of garlic, herb, and chive flavors.
The hot pepper sauce is optional. I love certain hot pepper sauces from Italy and Greece, but they are absent in our area. My favorite is the Scotch Bonnet condiment from Turks & Caicos. Beside the heat, it is loaded with tropical flavors of mango and guava, as compared to some of the most common commercial brands in the state that tend to be simply hot peppers in vinegar.
Ingredients
- 3 bunches (about 2 pounds) of fresh spinach
- 2 tablespoons of butter
- 1/2 medium onion, minced
- 6 cloves of garlic, smashed and chopped
- 3 ounces herbed cream cheese, cubed
- 6 fresh chives, minced
- 1 small sprig of fresh thyme, minced
- 3 fresh sage leaves, minced
- 1/3 cup, half and half
- ¼ cup shredded Myzithra cheese
- 2 tablespoons of sour cream
- pinch ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 2 shakes of Caribbean pepper hot sauce, or to taste (optional)
- sea salt and freshly ground pepper
Instructions
- Remove the base of each spinach bunch to allow separation of the leaves. Pinch off and discard the spinach stems.
- Using a salad spinner or a sterilized shallow sink, rinse the fresh spinach in a pool of cool water and drain. Repeat four times to ensure that all the trapped sand has been removed.
- Boil generously salted water. Add spinach, and cook for about 1 minute until slightly wilted. Drain the spinach and squeeze gently to remove excess water. Coarsely chop the spinach. Set aside.
- Heat the butter in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic. Season with a bit of salt so that the onions sweat and do not caramelize. Stir occasionally until the onion is transparent and soft, about 3 minutes.
- Add the cream cheese and half and half to the onion pan. Stir well until the cream cheese has fully melted. Stir in the chives, thyme, and sage until homogeneous.
- Stir in the wilted spinach. Simmer uncovered for 5 minutes, or until the mixture thickens to a creamy consistency.
- Stir in the myzithra cheese, nutmeg, sea salt, and pepper to taste, and, lastly, the lemon juice, hot sauce, and sour cream.
- Serve as an accompaniment to any grilled beef steak or even on a baked potato for a satisfying vegetarian lunch.
- N.B. Cool down the creamed spinach so that it solidifies somewhat, and use it to stuff a butterflied chicken breast. It’s wonderful!
