Creamed Spinach

This picture is a bit of a teaser because I'm going to give you the recipe for only one of the foods that you see on the plate. I'm still working on the recipe for the chicken and the oven-roasted potatoes, but eventually I'll post those on the blog as well.

Last week, when I was finishing my paper instead of going to the grocery store, I ran out of vegetables in the house, except for the packages of frozen chopped spinach that I try to keep stocked in the freezer. I think frozen spinach might be the perfect back-up vegetable. This time I used it to make creamed spinach, which I like to make when I don't have much time to cook, since it only takes about 15 minutes. In addition, Michael and the girls really like it. At some point, when the girls get a bit bigger and eat more, I'll probably have to start doubling the recipe so that we all can have as much as we'd like. Right before serving I like to drizzle a little fresh lemon juice over my serving of creamed spinach, but Michael likes the way it tastes best without any lemon flavor.

Creamed Spinach
serves 2 adults (and 2 small children, if the adults are willing to share)

Ingredients:

• 1 10-ounce package of frozen chopped spinach
  
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 Tbsp. Bob's Red Mill Gluten-free flour
• 1/2 cup Lactaid milk
• 1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp. sea salt
• 1/4 tsp. black pepper
• lemon juice, if preferred

Instructions:

Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a medium-size pan. Chop the onions, add them to the pan, and saute until softened. While the onions are sauteing, defrost the spinach in the microwave. Drain the excess liquid from the spinach by placing it in a colander over the sink and pressing down on the spinach with your hands.

When the onions are soft, add the garlic and stir for a minute. Add the flour and stir until fully absorbed. Add the milk, stir, and simmer until the sauce has thickened. Turn down the heat to low or medium-low, and whisk in the salt, nutmeg, and pepper. Add the spinach and cook, stirring frequently, until the spinach is hot.