Super Healthy, Garlic Sauteed Spinach
Well it turns out Popeye was right! Spinach is good for your body. Sauteing with garlic and olive oil brings the taste of spinach up to a whole new level. So much for the frozen kind, leave it to dips and casseroles. It’s so easy to make and really delicious. I’ve made this recipe skinny compared to the kind you order in a restaurant by using just a small amount of heart healthy olive oil and not adding the usual butter. The skinny for 1 serving, just 41 calories, 2.5 grams of fat and only 1 Weight Watchers POINTS PLUS.
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Ingredients
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 tablespoon garlic, minced (about 3 cloves)
1 (12 oz) bag baby spinach leaves
¼ teaspoon salt, or to taste
Fresh ground pepper to taste
Fresh lemon
Instructions
1. In a large, deep, nonstick pan or pot, heat olive oil. Add garlic and saute for 1 minute.
2. Add all spinach, salt, pepper and toss with garlic and oil. Cover pan and cook on low for about 1 minute. Uncover pan, turn the heat on high and cook spinach for another minute, or two, stirring with a wooden spoon until all the spinach is wilted.
3. Using a slotted spoon, lift the spinach into a serving dish or bowl and squeeze with a little fresh lemon all over the spinach.
4. Serve hot.
Makes 4 servings
Food Fact
There are two main varieties of spinach: flat-leaf and curly (baby spinach). The flat-leaf kind can be round or pointed while the young baby spinach is tender and delicate.
Fresh spinach cooks down to nothing. About 1 pound of raw spinach will yield 1 cup cooked.
Healthy Benefits
Spinach is considered to be one of the “super foods.” No wonder, it’s rich in iron, vitamins A, C and beta-carotene.
Garlic promotes circulation and lowers cholesterol. It also contains sulfur compounds that may help to prevent cancer growth.
Weight Watchers (old points) 1
Weight Watchers POINTS PLUS 1
| SKINNY FACTS: for 1 serving 41 calories, 2.5g fat, 3g protein, 4g carbs, 2g fiber, 214mg sodium, 1g sugar |
| FAT FACTS: for 1 serving using more oil and butter 91 calories, 6.9g fat, 4g protein, 7g carbs, 3g fiber, 673mg sodium, 1g sugar |
February 15th, 2011 at 1:36 pm
Thanks for visiting my blog. I love garlic Spinach. So yummy and a highly under used super food. Thanks for sharing.
February 16th, 2011 at 2:10 pm
we love garlic spinach, a perfect side to any meal..
thanks for stopping by
sweetlife
February 25th, 2011 at 4:08 pm
I just love simple foods. I make this as a side dish all the time at home. Sometimes I replace it with collard greens, Swiss chard or mustard greens and then back to spinach again. But always use the same combo of garlic, olive oil, salt, pepper and a squish of lemon at the end. d-e-l-i-s-h!