Spinach and mushroom Siciliano
I love spinach and mushrooms.
Spinach is both bitter and a little salty. It is versatile: You can have it in a salad or cook it in a soup, throw it into a taco or sauté it as a side dish mixed with a variety of veggies. Cooked or raw this green leafy veggie is packed with vitamins and minerals. It's rich in iron (remember Popeye always ate his spinach when he needed quick strength!). It's also an excellent source of Vitamin K, Vitamin A, Vitamin C and folate, manganese, magnesium, Vitamin B2.
Mushrooms are not your average fungi. Plenty of protein and fiber. But studies have also shown that mushrooms, especially button mushrooms, are full of selenium, an antioxidant that prevents cell damage, tissue damage and supports the immune system. Button mushrooms are the most common ones in the grocery store.
This recipe is a bit like a Sicilian recipe that my grandmother used to make. It's cooked fairly quickly and seasoned with balsamic vinegar and white wine. Garlic, onions, salt and pepper round it all out.
Spinach Mushroom Sauté
Makes 4 servings
- 4 tablespoons of olive oil
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 2 cloves of garlic, chopped
- 14 ounces of fresh mushrooms, sliced
- 10 ounces of fresh spinach, roughly chopped
- 2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 cup of white wine
- salt and ground black pepper, to taste
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté the onion and the garlic in the oil until they start getting tender.
- Add the mushrooms, and fry them until they begin to shrink -- about 3 to 4 minutes.
- Throw in the spinach, and fry, stirring constantly for a few minutes, or until spinach is wilted.
- Add the vinegar, stirring constantly until it is absorbed, then stir in the white wine.
- Reduce heat to low, and simmer until the wine has almost completely absorbed. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Eat immediately.
I like to top mine with shaved parmesan or a little grated asiago.
