Creamed Spinach
As made for a particularly delicious un-Valentine dinner party.
Tasty stuff. And pretty too.
The spinach isn't bad either.

Creamed Spinach
veg side
This is a quick, simple way to make a beautiful bright emerald creamed spinach, without going to the trouble of simmering up a white sauce. However, be warned - if you don't use it immediately (well, within say 15 minutes) the colour rapidly turns a dirty brown.
You can keep it fairly successfully if you tightly seal with cling-film, smoothing the film over the entire surface of the purée. You'll get some brown spots where there are air-pockets, but you can just scrape those away when you reheat - which you can do quite effectively with the cling-film still on in the microwave or steamer. I used a rubber band to seal my cling-film, which wasn't sticking particularly well to the pot I used.

You don't get much out of a 1lb of spinach leaves, but it's very rich and intense - a little goes a long way. Plenty for 2, a couple of spoonfuls each for 4.

Makes about 150ml, enough for 2-4

Ingredients
Method
Wash the spinach thoroughly, go through and nip off all the thick stalks. Drain well.
Heat a large pan, give the barest of wipes with oil or butter, and throw in the spinach, stirring until it wilts down completely.
You can fry sliced garlic before the spinach if you like - brown it but don't allow it to burn: too much or too browned can turn the dish noticeably bitter.
You want to collapse the spinach all the way here - unlike a classic white sauce-based creamed spinach, for which you only just wilt the leaves.
Empty into a sieve and press to drain as much water out as possible.
Heat the cream, put the spinach into a small container and blend with cream to taste. I use a stick blender in a measuring jug - there won't be enough spinach to use the pan you cooked it in.
Season with a grating of nutmeg and salt.
Either serve immediately or cover tightly with cling film.
Microwave or steam the covered pot to reheat.
Beautiful and delicious.
Feel free to throw some basil leaves in with the spinach, and a grating of parmesan to finish.
Alternatively - it ain't bad with blue cheese mashed through either.