I love the creamed spinach served at steak houses. The leafy green goes perfectly well with red meat- especially cooked with lots of butter and cream. I guess anything cooked with lots of butter and cream is delicious.

My problem- the red meat already has lots of calories and when you pair a calorie laden dish like creamed spinach- it results in a very heavy meal- oh, and what about the potatoes and the wine… a lot of calories.

So, this is my take on creamed spinach. I usually make it simply by sauteing garlic with spinach. I add a bit of half and half- which has less calories than cream but still adds substantial creaminess to the dish.

I started this dish by making a white or bechamel sauce. I sauteed some flour and olive oil. I added onion and garlic and then some milk. This was a  start to a very aromatic, creamy sauce. I added frozen, chopped spinach and cooked it till the excess moisture is cooked away.

The dish was delicious- with not a lot of calories. It has one tablespoon of olive oil and a third of a cup of half and half. Not bad considering it served 5 people. The taste was not compromised at all- in fact it tasted really good with the lamb and the potatoes.

Try this creamed spinach next time you are looking for a healthy side dish…
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