After tasting spinach prepared Catalan style in a local tapas restaurant, I tried re-creating it at home as a side dish. Moorish influence on the cuisine of Catalonia, a region in Northeastern Spain that includes Barcelona, results in a combination of sweet and savory elements in dishes. Most of the Catalan spinach recipes I found online include toasted pine nuts and golden raisins. Chef José Andrés has a version made with diced apple. Almonds and orange pieces were used in the spinach I ate at the tapas restaurant.
Ingredients
One orange, peeled and with pith removed, and cut into pieces
2 medium garlic cloves—peeled, smashed, and chopped
1/4 cup pine nuts or slivered almonds
12 to 16 ounces of baby spinach
1 Tbsp olive oil
Cover the raisins with warm water and let them stand until plumped, about 10 minutes. Drain them before adding them to the dish.
Cut a peeled orange into sections.
Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the chopped garlic and cook it for 30 seconds. Add the spinach. Sauté for 3 minutes until it’s wilted, stirring it now and then. Note: If you have mature spinach instead of tender baby spinach, you should steam it before putting it in the pan.
Add salt and pepper to taste. Stir in raisins, nuts, and orange pieces. Cook 1 to 2 minutes.
Serve immediately.
Serves 2-3 as a side dish.
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What a lovely fresh and tasty recipe, Maya! I think it will be a hit around here. Glad that Martin Luther King's message lives on and is celebrated. Hugs.
ReplyDeleteHugs to you too, Mary Jane. Thanks for commenting.
DeleteI love Spanish food, but am not always the biggest fan of fruit in savory dishes. This looks tasty and simple, so I might have to give it a try anyway.
ReplyDeleteThanks for commenting, Mia. Though it would be a different dish, spinach sauteed in olive oil and garlic with pine nuts added would make a good dish too.
DeleteLet there be peace on earth and let it begin with me!
ReplyDeleteAmen to that, Libby!
DeleteMaya, this looks great -- a way to sneak a little sunshine into the kitchen on these winter days!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Leslie. That's a good way to look at this dish. Oranges mean sunshine.
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