Sauteed Spinach

I'm an up-front kind of person, so I'm going to be honest with you.

I am posting this recipe with an ulterior motive.

Tomorrow's recipe is killer.

First of all, it's Monday.  And I have to start the week with a healthy recipe, otherwise my whole week is shot and I have to run 30 miles the following week to undo the bad things I ate.

Second, I really want to show you the artichoke chicken I made last week and served with this sauteed spinach.  But, as we've already discussed, if I start the week with cheese, mayonnaise and sour cream, I'm a goner.

And I would probably eat chocolate chip cookies for breakfast on Tuesday morning if that happened.

So!  Here we go.  Sauteed spinach.  I'm going to try to be as excited about this recipe as I am about tomorrow's over-the-top offering.

You'll need a 5-gallon bucket packed full of baby spinach leaves to equal enough servings for four people.

Is there anything in spinach besides water?

So start with a little butter, a little olive oil, and some grated garlic in a skillet.

Cram the spinach leaves in the skillet.

And put the lid on.

In just a minute, you'll have virtually nothing left!  It's like a magic trick.

See?  Twenty ounces of spinach cooked down to barely enough to feed 3 people.  Weird.  But good.

Serve it with artichoke chicken.  Or anything else creamy and decadent, since the spinach really cuts through richness.

Sauteed Spinach
Inspired by Ina Garten


1 tsp olive oil
1 tsp butter
3 garlic cloves, grated
2 10-oz. packages of fresh baby spinach leaves
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
Juice of one lemon

Heat the butter and olive oil in a large skillet (you'll need one with a lid that fits) and saute the grated garlic for about 30 seconds.  Add the spinach leaves and use tongs to toss the spinach in the oil.  Cover and cook for about 1 minute, until the spinach wilts.  Remove the lid, add the salt, pepper, and lemon juice, and toss with tongs until the spinach is completely wilted.  Serve immediately.