Spinach with Currants and Nuts
Instructions:
- A Mediterranean classic, sweet from the currants (or
raisins), crunchy with nuts, and equally good hot or at
room temperature.
Other vegetables you can use: almost any greens,
chopped, though most will take a little longer time to cook
than spinach, and broccoli, cooked until quite tender.
- 1/4 cup currants or raisins
- 1 pound spinach, trimmed of thick stems and well washed
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic (optional)
- 1/4 cup broken walnuts or pine nuts, briefly toasted in a dry skillet
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Soak the currants in warm water for about 10 minutes while you clean and cook the spinach. Steam or parboil the spinach until tender, less than 5 minutes. When the spinach is cool enough to handle, squeeze all the excess moisture from it; chop it roughly.
- Put the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
- When hot, add the garlic if you’re using it and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 3 minutes. Add the spinach and raise the heat to medium-high. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 2 minutes.
- Drain the currants and add them along with the nuts. Reduce the heat to medium. Cook, stirring occasionally, for another 3 or 4 minutes, until everything glistens.
- Sprinkle with salt and pepper and serve hot or at room temperature.