Creamless Creamed Spinach

If you were intrigued by the White House chef’s creamless creamed spinach — one of Michelle Obama’s favorite healthful foods that Rachel Swarns wrote about — the Well blog suggests one way you can make it. But here’s a recipe from the chef herself, Cristeta Comerford:

No Cream Creamed Spinach
Serves 6

2 pounds baby spinach, washed and cleaned
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 shallots, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
Salt and freshly ground pepper.

1. Blanch half a pound of spinach in salted, boiling water. Immediately, “shock” the blanched spinach in a bowl of iced water. Drain and squeeze out the excess water. Puree in a blender. Set aside.
2. In a large skillet, sweat the shallots and garlic until translucent. Add the rest of the spinach leaves. Toss and sauté until wilted. Fold in the spinach puree. Season with salt and pepper.