Posted by Janet Harriett on Nov.06, 2009

©iStockphoto.com - ivanastar

As days get shorter and colder, warm, rich foods like creamed spinach become more appealing. By using tofu and cottage cheese instead of saturated fat-laden heavy cream, this recipe cuts down on the fat and calories. and increases the protein content to make health-friendly comfort food. For another health boost, try the recipe with collards, kale or other greens in place of the spinach.

The cottage cheese in this recipe imparts the expected creamy flavor that usually comes from heavy cream when making creamed spinach. For those following a vegan or casein-free diet, the recipe can be made with a whole block of soft tofu instead of the tofu-cottage cheese mix, but you may need to add seasonings to compensate for the lack of cream flavor.

Creamed Spinach

Ingredients

• 1/2 block firm tofu
• 1/2 cup low-fat cottage cheese
• 1 small sweet onion
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 box frozen spinach, or 10 ounces fresh spinach, trimmed
• Nutmeg for garnish

If using frozen spinach, thaw and squeeze (see note). If using fresh spinach, steam just until wilted.

Combine the tofu and cottage cheese in a blender and puree until smooth, adding a small amount of milk or water if necessary. Set aside.

Dice the onion finely. In a medium saucepan, sautee the diced onion in olive oil until browned. Deglaze the pan with 1-2 tablespoons water.

Add the drained spinach to the onion and heat through.

Stir in the tofu-cottage cheese mixture and heat until bubbly. Serve with a sprinkle of nutmeg. Makes approximately 4 side-dish servings

Note

To safely thaw frozen spinach without using the microwave, place the box of spinach in a bowl in the refrigerator overnight. If the box has paper overwrap, be sure to remove the outer wrapping before thawing. Thawing food on the countertop encourages bacterial growth. To squeeze the excess liquid from the thawed spinach before adding it to the recipe without getting bits of spinach all over your hands, squeeze the spinach while it’s inside the box.

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Posted under Food, Nutrition & Recipes, Healthy Recipes, Salads and Sides.