Creamy Spinach Béchamel Food

CREAMED SPINACH

Steps:

• If bulk spinach is used, pick it over to remove and discard any tough stems and blemished leaves. Rinse the spinach thoroughly and shake off excess water. There should be about 2 pounds cleaned weight, or 16 cups.
• Bring enough water to a boil to cover the spinach when it is added and stirred down. Add spinach and cook 2 minutes and drain. Run under cold running water until chilled. Empty the spinach into a deep colander and press to extract most of the water.
• Put the spinach into the container of a food processor or an electric blender and blend thoroughly. There should be about 1 3/4 cups.
• Melt the butter in a saucepan and add the flour, stirring with a wire whisk. Add the milk, stirring rapidly with the whisk. Add nutmeg, salt and pepper to taste. Cook, stirring, about 5 minutes and add the spinach. Stir to blend. Heat and serve.

CLASSIC CREAMED SPINACH

Steps:

• Blanch the spinach. Bring 1 gallon water to a boil in a large pot. Add a pinch of kosher salt. Place the spinach in the boiling water. After 45 seconds (exactly), remove the spinach leaves with a slotted spoon, spider or tongs and drain in a colander. Let cool completely.
• Use your hands to press the spinach against the sides of the colander. When most of the liquid has been released, squeeze handfuls of the spinach to make sure all of the excess water has been removed. Set aside.
• In a wide, high-sided saute pan, melt the butter over medium-low heat. With a wooden spoon, stir the flour into the melted butter to create a roux that will look like wet sand. Cook the roux for 3 minutes, stirring continuously to make sure it doesn't burn and it becomes a "blond" color. Add the milk to the roux, whisking vigorously to make sure that the roux completely dissolves into the milk without lumping.
• Turn down the heat to maintain a low simmer. You're making a bechamel sauce, which is the base for the creamed spinach. Next, whisk in the cream and return the mixture to a simmer. Cook the bechamel until thickened and smooth, about 5 minutes, stirring often. Season the sauce with the salt, pepper and cayenne.
• Preheat a small saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the oil and let heat for about 1 minute. Add the onions and season with a pinch of salt. Cook until the onions soften and become translucent, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook an additional minute or two.
• Add the cooked onion and garlic along with the drained spinach to the bechamel, folding to make sure it's completely coated with sauce. Season with the nutmeg. Cook for 2 minutes, then taste the spinach. Adjust the seasoning with more salt and the nutmeg, and/or more cayenne if desired.

BECHAMEL CREAMED SPINACH

Steps:

• In a small saucepan, melt the butter, add flour, and cook, stirring, until it turns a light golden color.
• Remove from heat, then mix in the broth and half-and-half.
• Return to heat and bring to a boil, stirring, until thickened.
• Season to taste with salt and nutmeg.
• Wash the spinach well, drain slightly, place in a 5- to 6-quart pan over low heat, cover, and cook in the water that clings to leaves until wilted (3-4 minutes), stirring occasionally.
• Drain well and chop.
• Combine spinach and bechamel sauce and serve.
• Makes 4 servings.
• Note: recipe has been revised since the "not enough sauce" review, reducing the amount of spinach by half.

CREAMY SPINACH BéCHAMEL RECIPE

Steps:

• If using frozen spinach place it in a pot, add about ¼ cup water and let it thaw slowly on low heat. Or you can leave the spinach to thaw before you start cooking. Stir from time to time. When thawed continue cooking for about 5 minutes or until the spinach is soft. Let drain in a colander.
• If using fresh spinach, remove the stems and chop the spinach very roughly. Wash it and place it in a large pot, let wilt and cook for a few minutes until soft. Let drain in a colander.
• In the meantime make the Béchamel sauce. Heat the milk slightly in a heatproof jug (or heat in a saucepan and pour in a jug).
• Melt the butter in a non-stick saucepan. Sprinkle the flour on top and let it get slightly golden while stirring all the time, about 1-2 minutes. Slowly start adding the milk, while whisking continuously. Add the vegetable broth slowly as well and keep whisking.
• Bring to a simmer and let the sauce thicken on low heat, this will take about 5 minutes, continue to stir. The sauce should be thick and coat the back of a wooden spoon. Add some nutmeg and salt and pepper to taste.
• Mix the drained spinach and the Béchamel sauce together. Add the lemon juice and the finely grated garlic cloves. Stir well and adjust the taste again with salt, pepper, nutmeg and lemon juice. Serve hot as suggested above.

EASY CREAMED SPINACH

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add spinach, and cook just until wilted, about 1 minute. Drain in a colander; rinse with cold water until cool. Squeeze spinach to remove as much liquid as possible; coarsely chop, and set aside.
• In a large saucepan, heat butter over medium. Add onion and garlic; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion softens, 3 to 5 minutes.
• Add cream cheese and milk; cook, stirring, until cream cheese is melted and smooth. Stir in spinach. Simmer over medium heat until mixture thickens, 8 to 10 minutes. Add nutmeg; season with salt and pepper.

CREAMED SPINACH WITH BACON AND BECHAMEL SAUCE

Steps:

• Cut off the thick stems of the spinach and discard. Clean the spinach by filling up your sink with water and soaking the spinach to loosen any sand or dirt. Drain the spinach and then repeat soaking and draining.
• Blanch the spinach in a pot of boiling water until the spinach is wilted, about 1-2 minute Drain and rinse in cold water to stop the spinach from cooking further. Squeeze to remove all the moisture possible. Chop and set aside.
• Heat a large skillet on med. high. Add the chopped bacon and sauté until the bacon begins to render some fat. Add the chopped onion and garlic. Sauté until onions are translucent.
• Make the béchamel sauce. Melt butter in a small saucepan on med/low heat until it just starts to bubble. Add the flour and cook, stirring until smooth, about 2 minute Slowly add the milk, whisking continuously, cooking until thick.
• Combine spinach, bacon and onion mix, and béchamel sauce into one pan. Add nutmeg, salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a simmer, remove from heat and serve.

SPINACH AND BECHAMEL GRATIN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°F. Light butter 8-inch or 9-inch glass pie dish. Squeeze spinach very dry. Melt 3 tablespoons butter in heavy medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add spinach and sauté 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Spread spinach evenly in prepared pie dish.
• Melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter in heavy medium saucepan over medium heat. Add flour and whisk 2 minutes; do not let mixture brown. Gradually add cream, then milk, whisking until mixture is smooth. Cook until sauce is thick, whisking frequently, about 6 minutes. Add nutmeg and cloves. Season with salt and pepper.
• Spoon sauce over spinach. Sprinkle cheese over. Bake until cheese is golden and sauce bubbles, about 15 minutes.

SPINACH LASAGNA BECHAMEL

Steps:

• Sauce: Heat the milk until very warm but do not bring to a boil.
• In another pan over medium heat, melt the butter.
• Do not let the butter brown.
• Whisk in flour and cook for 3 or 4 minutes, stirring constantly.
• Gradually add the hot milk.
• Continue to whisk until the sauce is thickened.
• add the freshly grated nutmeg if using.
• Sauté the garlic and onions in the butter or oil until the onions are translucent.
• Stir in the spinach and 1/2 cup of the parsley.
• Add a little water if the spinach is dry.
• Cook until the spinach wilts then remove it from the heat; set aside.
• Mix the remaining parsley, ricotta, eggs and 2/3 of the parmesan cheese together.
• You may cook the lasagna until al dente or don't cook them at all.
• Moosewood does not cook theirs, they just layer the raw noodles in the pan.
• Oil a large casserole or lasagna pan.
• Layer the ingredients as follows: 1 1/2 to 2 cups of sauce, 1/3 of the noodles, 1/2 of the spinach, all the mozzarella, 1 1/2 to 2 cups sauce, 1/3 of the noodles, all the ricotta mixture left, all of the spinach left, 1 1/2 to 2 cups of the sauce,the remaining noodles, the rest of the sauce, sprinkling the remaining parmesan cheese on top.
• Cover the casserole and bake at 350°F for 45 minutes.
• Uncover the casserole and bake for another 10 to 15 minutes.
• Remove the casserole from the oven and let it rest for 10 to 15 minutes before serving.

AGA'S CREAMED SPINACH WITH BECHAMEL SAUCE

Steps:

• Pre heat oven 350.
• In a saute pan, melt butter and olive oil.
• Add onions and saute on medium heat until translucent and tender.
• In a small pot, scald milk with bay leaf and peppercorns on low heat.
• In a small pan, heat flour on medium heat for approximately 15 mins, whisk frequently until flour texture is soft and silky (this step, cuts the flour after taste).
• Once the onions are clear and tender, add the flour to the mix and whisk flour for approximately one minute.
• Remove pan from heat, strain milk and add to onions and whisk.
• Return to heat, whisk constantly until sauce thickens, approximately 10 to 15 minutes.
• Add salt, parmesan and nutmeg (bechamel sauce can be made a day in advance).
• Remove from heat, and add spinach.
• Add the spinach bechamel mix to an 8X8 oven proof dish.
• Bake for 25 to 30 minutes.