While Popeye was a favourite cartoon for my son, spinach surely wasn’t and I have always tried different ways to get him to have spinach without just swallowing it down with eyes closed. My experiments led me to this combination and after trying many versions, this recipe is the one that hit the bulls eye. Not only does my son relish this dish so does my husband who tends to shy away from anything with cream or white sauce. This time on our trip to the US, I made this dish for my son again and both he and his vegetarian friends just loved it. This is a simple yet wholesome dish and convenient to make. This dish does not need to be baked and that saves time. In India, I normally use the fresh spinach but this time in the US, I used the frozen chopped spinach which made things lots easier without impacting the taste. Try and use fresh baby spinach if available. Do not forget to sauteed the spinach and mushroom with butter initially for that added taste. For those who are not fond of cream, you can use soya or almond milk with tapioca flour instead to thicken the dish. This dish is quite plain to the Indian palate. So I added some seasoning such as red chili flakes, oregano and all- purpose seasoning. The Creamed Spinach and Mushroom can be paired with all kinds of bread including sourdough and Pita to make a full meal. It is a great way to enjoy the goodness of spinach and mushroom without compromising on the taste.
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PinDescription
The Popeye Special
Ingredients
- 3 cups fresh Spinach (or 1 cup frozen Spinach)
- 2 cups sliced Mushrooms (Button, Cremini, Shiitake)
- 1–2 Tbsp vegetable Oil
- 1 ½ Tsp Butter
- 4 cloves Garlic, finely minced
- 1/3 cup Sweet Corn Kernels
- 1/2 cup Milk
- 1/2 cup Cooking Cream
- 1/2 cup grated Mozzarella cheese
- 1 tsp Flour (you may use All Purpose flour, Tapioca flour)
- 1/2 Tsp Red Chilli Flakes
- 1/2 Tsp Oregano Seasoning
- 1 Tsp All Purpose Seasoning
- Salt and freshly crushed Black Pepper for seasoning
Instructions
- Blanch the spinach in boiling water for 10 seconds before taking them out with the help of a slotted spoon and immediately dipping them in a bowl of ice water.
- Once cool, squeeze the excess water off the spinach and place them in a dry bowl.
- The above step can be done away with, if you get hold of frozen spinach.
- Heat oil and butter in a pan over medium. Add the finely sliced onion, green chillies followed by the minced garlic.
- Stir for 3-4 minutes or until the onions are light brown and the garlic turns aromatic.
- Next, over medium-high flame add the sliced mushrooms and keep sautéing for another 2 minutes.
- Lower the flame to a medium-low and add the blanched spinach along with the corn kernels.
- Now add the milk, cream salt and pepper to season. Cook for 2-3 minutes.
- You may add slurry made out of the tapioca or all-purpose flour if you need to thicken a bit. This is entirely optional.
- Lastly, generously sprinkle the grated Mozzarella all over the pan, covering all of the spinach-mushroom-corn mix. Cover with a lid and cook for a bit till the cheese melts over a medium-low flame.
- Open the lid, season with the red chilli flakes, Oregano seasoning and All Purpose seasoning.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
