One of the many challenges of moving across the country is this: the stuff in your refrigerator has to be GONE. I absolutely hate wasting food, so I always try my hardest to find creative ways to use things up so I don’t have to throw anything out. This 5-minute Sauteed Spinach with Garlic and Lemon is a great way to use up a lot of greens with very few ingredients (I used baby spinach, but you can use other baby greens as well)– it’s healthy, amazingly easy, and super tasty. If you have a surplus of baby greens, or if they’ve reached that slightly sketchy point where they are almost bad, whip up a batch of these sauteed greens so they don’t go to waste!
We had this as a side with lemon pepper flounder, but it’s also very tasty for breakfast in an omelette or with a fried or poached egg and some hot sauce (a great way to eat veggies for breakfast!). This would be excellent mixed into cooked rice, or served with simple grilled chicken. And it couldn’t be easier to make. First, sauté some minced garlic in a nonstick or cast iron skillet in some butter (or olive oil) until it becomes fragrant (for about one minute). Add some lemon juice, and pile the spinach (or other baby greens) in the skillet. Add as much as you want- it will look like a TON, but because fresh greens contain so much water, they will wilt down as they cook and release the liquid.
Every once in a while, stir the spinach around, trying to get the cooked leaves on top and the uncooked ones on the bottom. You can cover the skillet for the first minute if you want to get the process started more quickly. The spinach will only take a few minutes to cook down until it’s ready to eat. Don’t cook it for too long, or it will become very mushy and turn brown (you want the final result to be bright green still).
Just after cooking, season liberally with salt and pepper. DO NOT be afraid of the salt. That’s it! You’re done! Recipe below- enjoy :-)
