No Apologies Necessary by Joan O’Connell Hedman

The recipes in this column – a special three-for-one deal – are the results, yet again, of:

1. an abundance of produce on the brink of decay
2. an inspirational restaurant experience, and
3. fearless confidence in my ability to come up with something edible and nutritious.

As I approached writing this column, I felt a pang of embarrassment. How many times could I admit to you just how often I over-buy fresh produce? (I can’t help it, it’s so tempting!) Would readers be OK with how often I crib recipe ideas from others? But then I realized there is no shame in this.

I’ve been cooking for thirty years, and while every so often I do come across something truly “new,” the reality is, I’m working with a finite (though large) set of ingredients, and within a range of tastes that are acceptable to my family. I adore spinach and always feel I should be eating more of it; these recipes, in addition to solving my near-constant produce under-consumption problem, make that easy.

So I present to you Southwestern Spinach, three ways. The first variation is a side dish, which alone among the variants uses tomatoes. My inspiration for that recipe came from a similar side dish I had at a local restaurant. It was so addictive I had to figure out how to make it myself. From the side dish it was easy to make a hot dip recipe, but I think my favorite is the Southwestern Chowder, which is very much a meal-in-a-bowl.

I use both corn and diced red bell pepper to add flavor and texture to the dishes. These ingredients do add carbs, but they really bring a lot to the table for the few grams of carbs per serving they contribute. If you decide to leave them out, you can save about 2 grams per serving for the dip and the side dish, and nearly 5 grams for the chowder. For me, they’re worth it, and make the dishes much more satisfying. But if you’re really watching your carbs, you can still get flavorful results without them.

Southwestern Spinach, Three Ways for all:

• 2 T olive oil
• 3-4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tsp red pepper flakes (or more, or less, to taste)
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme leaves
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 lb package chopped frozen spinach, thawed
• 1 can chopped green chilies, drained

for Side Dish:

• 1/4 C corn kernels
• 1/4 C diced red bell pepper
• 2 roma tomatoes, diced
• 4 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, cubed or shredded
• 1/4 C heavy cream

for Dip:

• 1/4 C corn kernels
• 1/4 C diced red bell pepper
• 4 ounces Monterey jack cheese, cubed or shredded
• 1/2 C heavy cream

for Chowder:

• 1 C corn kernels
• 1 C diced red bell pepper
• 6 ounces Monterey jack cheese, cubed or shredded
• 1 C heavy cream
• 3 C chicken stock
• 2 C cooked chicken breast, diced

For the dip and the side dish, use a large sauté pan. For the chowder, you can use a heavy-bottomed soup pot.

Add the olive oil to the pan and warm over medium-low heat and add the garlic and the other spices. Cook, stirring often so it doesn’t stick, until the garlic is very soft, about 5 minutes. If you like the flavor of toasted garlic you can continue cooking it until the garlic is a light golden color, but watch carefully to make sure the garlic doesn’t burn and become bitter.

Set the pan off the heat while you prepare the spinach. Using clean hands, squeeze the excess moisture from the thawed spinach in small batches until it has all been processed. It’s important to remove as much liquid from the spinach as possible.

Add the dry spinach and green chilies to the garlic mixture and return the pan to medium heat. If you’re making the side dish, add the diced roma tomatoes at this point, too. Stir to combine everything, and let it warm for a few minutes, then stir in the diced red pepper and the corn kernels.

Add the cheese and heavy cream, stirring to combine. Continue stirring gently over medium heat until the cheese melts and the dip or side dish has the consistency you like; if it’s too thick, stir in a few more tablespoons of heavy cream.

If you’re making the chowder, now is the time to add the chicken stock and the diced chicken. You may be tempted to increase the heat to bring the whole pot to a boil; don’t! You need to heat this chowder gently so it doesn’t separate.

Finally, whichever variation you’re making, taste and adjust the seasonings. You’ll note that salt isn’t included in the ingredient list, but you may find that you need it; a bit of fresh black pepper may be to your liking, also.

Approximate nutrition information:

Side dish: serves six, per serving: 183 calories, 16 g fat, 8 g carbs, 3 g fiber, 8 g protein.
Dip:serves eight, per serving: 159 calories, 15 g fat, 5 g carbs, 2 g fiber, 6 g protein.
Chowder: serves six, per serving: 427 calories, 38 g fat, 13 g carbs, 4 g fiber, 26 g protein.
I love hearing from CarbSmart readers, so please send mail if you have any questions or comments, Joan O’Connell Hedman.
Copyright © 2007 Joan O’Connell Hedman. May not be reprinted without the author’s permission.

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