Creamed spinach

But without the cream. There is still a slight lingering coconut flavor in this dish, which I’m sure might be off-putting to some, or sheer delight to others.

I will say that I love doing twists on this recipe, like adding in some chopped-up artichokes (think pseudo spinachartichoke dip), drizzling with a little hot sauce, sprinkling on some cayenne pepper, or if I’m doing a dairy cheat, getting some parmesan cheese in there. So many options, and so full of vitamins and garlicky goodness.

1 pound (450 g) frozen spinach
½ cup (125 mL) coconut milk
3 cloves fresh garlic, minced
½ teaspoon coconut flour
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 shallot, minced
½ teaspoon paprika
~ salt and pepper, to taste

  1. Thaw spinach completely in a colander over the sink, and using your hands, squeeze out all remaining liquid.
  2. Heat a small saucepan over medium heat.
  3. Add the coconut milk and 2 teaspoons of the minced garlic (this will infuse the coconut milk with a bit of the garlic flavor).
  4. Whisk in the ½ teaspoon coconut flour until slightly simmering. Remove from heat.
  5. Meanwhile, heat olive oil in skillet over medium heat, and add shallot, remaining garlic and paprika.
  6. Cook until shallots are just translucent, being careful not to burn the shallots or garlic.
  7. Add spinach and coconut cream sauce, and simmer until everything is cooked through.
  8. Serve immediately.

Ingredient Note—If you have a bunch of fresh spinach, you can totally use that too. If using fresh spinach: preheat large pot of water. Once it reaches a boil, submerge spinach for about 60 seconds or until bright green. Using a slotted spoon, transfer spinach to a bowl of ice water (this process is called “blanching” and will preserve the bright green color). Drain spinach, squeezing out all residual moisture, and rough chop.