Here’s a great steakhouse side dish that can do more harm than the red meat itself. Standard preparations make a bad boy out of an otherwise extraordinarily healthy vegetable. The problem with spinach is that it’s very lean and often bitter—which is why we sauté it in butter or douse it with cream. All-natural Greek yogurt has been employed here to help clean up its act.

　　

Ingredients

serves 4

　　1 tablespoon unsalted butter

　　3 garlic cloves, minced

　　2 large shallots, chopped fine (about 1/3 cup)

　　Salt and freshly ground black pepper

　　Pinch of ground nutmeg

　　12 ounces baby spinach

　　1 teaspoon cornstarch

　　1/3 cup Greek yogurt

　　

Step 1

Heat a large nonstick sauté pan over medium heat. Add the butter to the pan, and when it has melted, add the garlic and shallots. Season with salt, pepper, and a pinch of nutmeg. Cook, stirring often, until the shallots are tender, about 4 minutes.

　　

Step 2

Raise the heat to high and add half of the spinach. Season it lightly with salt and pepper. Toss and stir the spinach as it cooks down. When there is enough room in the pan, add the remaining spinach. Continue to cook, stirring often, until the spinach is tender, about 3 minutes.

　　

Step 3

Sprinkle the cornstarch over the spinach and stir until combined. Continue to cook the spinach until the liquid has thickened, about 1 minute.

　　

Step 4

Remove the pan from the heat. Add the yogurt and stir to coat the spinach. Season with salt and pepper to taste, if desired, and serve.

　　

nutrition information

Step 5

Fat: 21.9g (before), 5.3g (after)

　　

Step 6

Calories: 294 (before), 90 (after)

　　

Step 7

Protein: 4g

　　

Step 8

Carbohydrates: 9g

　　

Step 9

Cholesterol: 13mg

　　

Step 10

Fiber: 2g

　　

Step 11

Sodium: 229mg

　　Now Eat This by Rocco DiSpirito. Copyright © 2010 by Rocco DiSpirito. Published by Random House Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved.Hailed as the "Leading Chef of his Generation" by Gourmet magazine, Rocco DiSpirito received the James Beard Award for his first cookbook, Flavor. He went on to author Rocco's Italian-American (2004), Rocco's Five Minute Flavor (2005), Rocco's Real-Life Recipes (2007), and Rocco Gets Real (2009). DiSpirito also starred in the Food Network series Melting Pot, the NBC hit reality series The Restaurant, and the A&E series Rocco Gets Real.