Cream-less Creamed Spinach

If you ranked veggies by their health benefits, spinach would sit very close to the top. High in vitamins B, K and A, spinach is a great source of phytonutrients and essential minerals, including zinc. This leafy green is a good source of plant based, or non-heme, iron and vitamin C. Since the non-heme iron needs the C to be absorbed by the body, you get all you need in one shot. That, plus the Allicin you get from the onions and the garlic, both of which are anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial, make this dish a power boost for your immune system.

Along with the caramelized onion, the “cream” in this recipe comes from the cashew butter. It will make you feel like you are eating creamy, buttery, creamed spinach. Cashews are packed with healthy fats and essential minerals. They are also the “feel good” nut as they act as an anti-depressant. Bring on the cashews!

It’s helpful to remember that organic frozen spinach that is flash frozen in the fields is just as nutritious as fresh spinach that has travelled a long distance, and may have retained even more of the nutrients.

Cream-less Creamed Spinach

Serves 4

Ingredients:

Spinach – 6 cups washed

Onion- large white, chopped

Garlic- 2 cloves, minced

Ghee – 1 tablespoon

Cashew Butter or Cashew Cream – 1 tablespoon

Salt and Pepper- to taste

Instructions:

After you wash the spinach, make sure that you dry the leaves well.

Saute onion and garlic in a saucepan with the ghee. When the onion is translucent, add the spinach and cover for @ a minute. The spinach cooks very quickly. You don’t want to overdo it.

Transfer the contents of the pan to a food processor.

Add cashew butter.

Blend until smooth.

Add salt and pepper to taste.

By Tapp Francke-Ingolia