Butter Braised Spinach Food

BUTTER BRAISED SPINACH

Steps:

• Wash spinach well. With water clinging to leaves place in pot and cook, covered, on medium heat, for 5 to 7 minutes or until spinach is wilted.
• Drain well, rinse with cold water and squeeze out any moisture.
• Heat butter in skillet on medium heat until sizzling. Add spinach and sauté gently until spinach absorbs butter.
• Add cream and bring to boil. Cook until cream is reduced and spinach is a thick mass.
• Season well with salt and pepper.

BRAISED SPINACH

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a very large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic, and saute until tender, about 8 minutes. Add 1/3 of the spinach and saute until it begins to wilt, about 1 to 2 minutes. Continue adding the spinach 1 handful at a time, sauteing just until it begins to wilt before adding more. Add the soy sauce and crushed red pepper. Saute over high heat until spinach wilts. Season the mixture, to taste, with salt and black pepper. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and serve.

GARLIC SAUTEED SPINACH

Steps:

• Rinse the spinach well in cold water to make sure it's very clean. Spin it dry in a salad spinner, leaving just a little water clinging to the leaves.
• In a very large pot or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil and saute the garlic over medium heat for about 1 minute, but not until it's browned. Add all the spinach, the salt, and pepper to the pot, toss it with the garlic and oil, cover the pot, and cook it for 2 minutes. Uncover the pot, turn the heat on high, and cook the spinach for another minute, stirring with a wooden spoon, until all the spinach is wilted. Using a slotted spoon, lift the spinach to a serving bowl and top with the butter, a squeeze of lemon, and a sprinkling of sea or kosher salt. Serve hot.

BUTTER-BRAISED CARROTS AND LEEKS

Steps:

• Trim the tops of the carrots. Scrub the carrots well but do not peel; halve lengthwise. Wash the chopped leeks thoroughly.
• Melt the butter in a wide pot over medium heat. Add the leeks and 1/4 teaspoon salt and toss to coat. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until almost tender, about 8 minutes. Add the carrots, lemon zest, nutmeg, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper and 1/2 cup water. Cover and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the carrots are tender, 15 to 20 more minutes.
• Add half of the herbs, the lemon juice, and salt and pepper to taste; toss. Transfer the vegetables to a platter and top with the remaining herbs.

QUICK AND EASY SAUTEED SPINACH

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the spinach to the skillet and cover; allow to cook 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic salt and cover again for another 5 minutes; remove from heat. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese to serve.

BRAISED SPINACH WITH GARLIC, ONION, AND PINE NUTS

Steps:

• Heat a large pot or Dutch oven (it has to be large to hold spinach before wilting) over medium-high heat.
• Heat 1-2 Tbsp olive oil, and saute onion until translucent.
• Add garlic, and continue cooking until onion just begins to brown around the edges, but garlic is not browning.
• Add spinach, with just the water clinging to the leaves, adding by handfuls as the spinach wilts and makes room for more, until all of the spinach is incorporated.
• If desired, drain the rendered juices from the pan before continuing.
• Season with nutmeg, lemon zest and juice, salt, and pepper, to taste, continuing to toss spinach until it is just wilted, but still bright green.
• Stir in toasted pine nuts, and drizzle with more lemon juice and olive oil if desired.

BUTTERED SPINACH

Steps:

• Cut stems from spinach.
• Place spinach in sink full of water.
• Swish it around to clean well.
• Remove from water.
• Drain the sink, then put more fresh water in the sink and wash spinach again.
• Pull the spinach out of the water and let drip.
• Place in large pot.
• Add no water, the water clinging to the spinach will be enough.
• Place pot on high heat until steaming.
• Stir, reduce heat to med, cook for 2 minutes, stirring once.
• Drain in colander.
• Return to pan, add butter, salt and pepper, stir to coat.
• Serve with lemon juice or vinegar on the side.

BRAISED SPINACH AND ONION (WITH VARIATIONS)

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, combine onions and chicken broth. Cook onion until stock has reduced to 1/4 cup, about 7 - 9 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove onions from heat. Set aside.
• In a large skillet spray with Pam. With some water still clinging to the spinach, add to skillet and cook until just wilted. Remove from heat and cool slightly. Squeeze out excess liquid and chop.
• Melt butter over low heat or in microwave. Add butter, spinach to the braised onions and combine. Salt, pepper to suit taste. Place in casserole dish.
• Bake in preheated 350 oven for 20 minutes or until heated through.
• Note: If using beet greens or swiss chard, use caution with pepper.

BUTTER-BRAISED ASPARAGUS

Steps:

• Snap off and discard the tough bottoms of the asparagus spears. If using large, thick asparagus, peel the lower ends with a vegetable peeler.
• Put butter in a wide skillet over medium-high heat. Add asparagus in one layer and season with salt and pepper. Add 1/2 cup water, cover, and bring to a simmer. Cook until the asparagus is firm-tender, about 3 minutes. Take care not to overcook them; they should still be bright green. (They will continue to cook a bit once the heat is off.) Remove the asparagus from the pan and place on a serving platter.
• Turn heat to high and simmer briskly until most of the liquid has evaporated, a minute or so. Add lemon juice and zest to the buttery juices. Turn off heat and stir in chives, parsley, tarragon and dill, if using. Check seasoning. Spoon the sauce over the asparagus, garnish with a few herb leaves, and serve.

BUTTER BRAISED OYSTERS ON GREENS

Steps:

• Heat 1 tablespoon butter in a 12-inch skillet over moderately high heat until foam subsides, then lightly brown bread in butter on both sides. Put toasts on plates and top with mesclun.
• Add 1 tablespoon butter to skillet, then cook shallot, stirring, over moderate heat until softened and beginning to brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Add vinegar and cook, swirling skillet frequently, until vinegar is reduced to about 1 tablespoon. Add oysters and remaining 3 tablespoons butter and cook, swirling skillet frequently, until oysters are plumped and butter is incorporated into sauce, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper. Spoon oysters and sauce over mesclun.

BRAISED BEEF SHORT RIBS WITH SPINACH & HORSERADISH CREAM

Steps:

• Prepare short ribs:.
• Press peppercorns onto short ribs and put in a large roasting pan. Scatter thyme sprigs over ribs, then chill, covered, for 8 hours, or overnight. Remove thyme sprigs and reserve.
• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Sprinkle ribs with Kosher salt. Heat oil in a deep 12 inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until it is hot but not smoking. Brown the ribs in two batches on all sides, transferring meat sides up to a roasting pan.
• Add onion, clelery, and carrot to the skillet and saute, stirring and scraping up the brown bits in pan, until the vegetables are golden brown, about 8 minutes. Add white wine, Port, vinegar, bay leaf, parsley, and reserved thyme sprigs and boil until mixture is reduced to about 3/4 cup, about 20 minutes. Add stock and bring to a boil, then ladles over short ribs in roasting pan (liquid will come about halfway up ribs).
• Cover the pan tightly with 2 layers of foil and braise short ribs in the middle ot oven until meat is tender and almost falling off the bone, 2 to 3 hours (depending on the size of the ribs). Uncover roasting pan and roast ribs until they are slightly browned, about 15 minutes more.
• Remove from oven, then tent with foil and let stand for 10 minutes. Transfer ribs to a platter and keep warm, covered.
• Pour liquid in roasting pan through a fine sieve into a bowl, then skim off the fat. (Liquid should measure 1 cups, but you may have more. If so, transfer liquid to a small saucepan and boil until reduced to 1 cup.)
• Make potato puree while short ribs braise:.
• Cover unpeeled potatoes with salted cold water by 1 inch in a 6 to 8 quart saucepan. Simmer potatoes, uncovered, until tender, about 25 minutes. Drain in a colander and cool 15 minutes, then peel potatoes while they are still very warm. Heat milk and cream until warm in a large heavy saucepan over low heat, then force peeled potatoes through a potato ricer into the saucepan. Add butter a few pieces at a time, stirring until incorporated before adding next few pieces. Season the puree with salt and keep warm, covered.
• Prepare spinach while ribs are standing:.
• Heat olive oil in clean 12 inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then suate shallots, stirring, until golden, about 4 minutes. Add spinach and saute stirring, until just wilted, about 2 minutes. Season with salt.
• Make horseradish cream:.
• Stir together creme fraiche and horseradish.
• Serve each rib on potato puree with spinach, then drizzle with cooking liquid and top with a dollop of horseradish cream.
• Cooks note: The ribs can be made one day ahead. Cool, uncovered, in roasting pan, then chill, covered. Reheat, covered, in a 350 F oven until heated through.