Spinach Roman Style Food

SPINACH WITH RAISINS AND PINE NUTS

Steps:

• Soak the raisins in a bowl with enough warm water to cover for 10 minutes.
• Rinse the spinach in a couple changes of cold water. Discard any wilted or bruised leaves and trim away any thick, woody stalks.
• Place the spinach in a large pan with nothing but the water that clings to the leaves, cover the pan, and cook over low heat until the spinach has collapsed and is tender. This should take 5 to 10 minutes.
• Transfer the spinach to a colander and drain. Once it's cool enough, squeeze it with your hands to eliminate any excess liquid.
• Meanwhile, peel and gently crush the garlic cloves with the flat side of a knife.
• In a large skillet or sauté pan over medium-low heat, gently cook the garlic until fragrant and lightly golden and then remove it. Add the butter to the pan, let it foam slightly, then add the pine nuts and turn them in the oil before adding the spinach and a pinch of salt. Cook for 2 minutes, or just until the spinach leaves glisten.
• Drain the raisins and add them to the pan, gently turn the ingredients a couple more times, and serve immediately.

ROMAN SPINACH SOUP

Steps:

• In a 4-qt saucepan, over medium heat, bring broth to a boil.
• Beat together egg substitute, basil, cheese,lemon juice, parsley, white pepper and nutmeg.
• Set aside.
• Add spinach to broth and simmer 1 minute.
• Slowly pour egg mixture into broth while wisking constantly so that egg threads form.
• Simmer 2 to 3 minutes or until egg is cooked.
• Garnish with lemon slices and parsley.
• Note: Soup may look curdled.

SPINACH RICE

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large pan, add the onion and gently cook until softened but not coloured. Add the spinach and half the dill. Cook on a high heat, stirring regularly, until the spinach has wilted down and all the liquid has evaporated.
• Stir in the rice and add 600ml water, then bring to the boil. Turn the heat right down again to a very gentle simmer, cover the pan with a tight-fitting lid and cook for 25-30 mins or until the rice has cooked and absorbed all the water. Give it a stir after 15 mins to ensure even cooking, adding a drop more water as required.
• When the rice is cooked, stir in the remaining dill, season well, squeeze over the lemon juice to taste, and serve.

SPINACH ROMAN STYLE

Steps:

• Put the raisins in a small bowl with enough warm water to cover. Soak for about 15 minutes and set aside.
• Put the wet spinach in a frying pan large enough to hold it all and cook over a high flame until it collapses and turns dark green, stirring constantly. Transfer the spinach to a colander and set aside. If the frying pan is wet, dry it with a paper towel.
• Pour olive oil into the frying pan over medium-high heat. Add garlic and brown it, being careful it doesn't burn. Remove and discard. Take the raisins from the water, squeeze as dry as possible and add them to the oil with the pine nuts. Turn the heat down to medium and cook until the nuts turn a golden color. Be careful because the nuts can burn easily.
• Return spinach to the pan, stir with a fork and add salt and pepper, to taste. Mix all ingredients and continue cooking for about a minute. You may add additional olive oil if desired.

SPINACI ALLA ROMANA (ROMAN-STYLE SPINACH)

Steps:

• Heat the fat over moderate heat in a large casserole able to contain all the spinach. If using the garlic, toss it in as the fat in heating up, and remove it as soon as it begins to color and give off its aroma.
• If using pre-washed baby spinach: Add the raw spinach directly into the casserole. No need for liquid; the vegetable will steam in its natural moisture. Cover the casserole and let the spinach cook down. It will reduce enormously, down to a mere faction of its original bulk. Uncover and turn the spinach as it cooks, turning it in the fat so it is well covered all over.
• If using mature spinach: Wash the spinach well to get any grit out. (If the vegetable is very gritty, you can soak it in a large bowl of cold water.) Then trim the leaves off their woody stems. Pre-cook the trimmed leaves in salted boiling water for a five minutes or so, drain immediately and run the spinach under cold water to stop the cooking. Squeeze out the liquid from the spinach and chop it up roughly. Add the chopped spinach to the fat in the pan, turning it over to impregnate it with the oil. (No need to cover the spinach.)
• Now add the raisins and pine nuts to the spinach. Season with salt and pepper. Let the spinach simmer gently over moderate heat for, say 5-10 minutes, until the spinach is perfectly tender and the flavors have a chance to meld. If there is juice left in the pan, raise the heat to high and let it cook off. The spinach should moist, but not wet.
• Serve immediately.