Catalan Spinach

Beth Barnett
Reprinted with permission from Even More Delicious!,
a new cookbook from the Sisterhood of
Temple Aliyah, Needham

Food Editor's notes:  This is an absolutely beautiful looking dish with a delicious combination of flavors that will star as part of a special dinner.  It looks gourmet, yet it is simple enough to make for a quick family meal.  And you will feel so healthy eating it, too!  I made half this recipe in a large saucepan, but I think you could make the whole recipe in one large pan or pot.  Add as much spinach as you can to start and, as it wilts down, add more until it's all incorporated.  I also removed the apples before cooking the pine nuts and the nuts before sautéing the shallots and raisins, just to be sure that nothing got soggy.  I added the apples and nuts back with the last batch of spinach.

Ingredients

6 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium Golden Delicious apples, peeled, cored, and cut into ½-inch cubes
1 cup pine nuts
3 finely chopped shallots
1 cup raisins
3 (10-ounce) packages fresh spinach
Salt and ground black pepper to taste

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in each of 2 heavy large pots over high heat.  Divide apples between pots and sauté until golden brown around edges, about 3 minutes.  Divide pine nuts between pots, sauté until pine nuts are lightly toasted, about 3 minutes.  Add 2 tablespoons olive oil to each pot.  Divide shallots and raisins between pots, stir to blend.  Divide spinach between pots; cover and cook until wilted, stirring occasionally, about 2 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Transfer to bowl and serve.

Yield:  8 servings

Beth Barnett lives in Newton with her family. She enjoys cooking, is very active in Women’s American ORT, and is a fan of ShalomBoston.com.  She has several recipes in the fantastic new cookbook from the Sisterhood of Temple Aliyah in Needham, Even More Delicious!  Click here for ordering information.