Savory spinach side

I’m not sure exactly how to label this savory spinach side dish, but it has been the most requested vegetable dish at home. It’s like a kugel but it doesn’t have any flour or grains for filler so the recipe is grain- and gluten-free. In the past two months I’ve made this six times for Shabbat, so I’ll call it a winner. The first time I made it my husband went back for seconds, and after dinner, when I went to clean the kitchen, I noticed he had eaten almost the entire casserole. I was shocked, but also flattered, so I knew this would be a good recipe to share.

You can use fresh or frozen spinach — which makes life easier — and it’s a great way to get an extra vegetable on the table that your family will devour.

This recipe calls for simple ingredients that most people have on hand. I find the basic seasonings of onion, black pepper and paprika to be incredibly comforting.

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This is easy enough to make during the week, but because it heats well and tastes great both warm and at room temperature, I like to make it for Shabbat dinner; if there are any leftovers I serve them for lunch the next day.

Ingredients
Serves four
½ a large onion
2 pounds fresh spinach or 2 16-ounce bags frozen spinach
2 tablespoons oil
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
¼ cup mayonnaise
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon sweet paprika
½ teaspoon coarse black pepper, plus more for the top if desired

Preheat the oven to 350 F, with the wire rack in the middle of the oven.

Lightly grease a casserole dish that is 8-inches-by-8-inches or similar in size and has sides that are 3 inches high.

Warm a sauté pan over medium-low heat for 2 minutes before adding the oil to the pan.

Warm the oil for an additional minute or so before adding the onion to oil. Sauté the onion for 12-15 minutes or until softened and lightly brown. Adjust the heat if it is browning too quickly.

Add the spinach to the pot. If you’re using fresh spinach you can fill the pan to the top; mix it into the onions and oil, and keep adding more until it’s all in the pot. Two pounds of fresh spinach seems like a lot, but it’s amazing how much spinach can cook down to nothing.

If you’re using frozen spinach it should all fit into the pan with the onions at the same time. Fresh spinach will cook faster but it takes more time to prepare and clean beforehand. I try to use fresh spinach when time allows. Either way, add 2 tablespoons of water to the spinach, which will help the fresh spinach wilt down within minutes. The water will help the frozen spinach defrost more quickly as well.

As soon as the spinach is wilted and there is no extra liquid in the bottom of the pan, remove it from the flame. Frozen spinach will have a lot more liquid that looks like green water and will take 5-10 minutes longer to cook than fresh spinach.

Add the salt, spices and mayonnaise to the spinach while it’s warm and stir well. I like using mayonnaise rather than additional oil because it makes a very creamy spinach kugel.

Once the mayonnaise is well blended, fold in the eggs.

The mixture will look a bit runny as you pour it into your prepared casserole dish.

I love this extra peppery, so I sprinkle a bit more coarse pepper over the top.

Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the edges are brown and starting to pull away from the sides of the baking dish.

Allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving.

You can cut squares from the pan, but if you run a sharp knife along the edges you can use two spatulas to lift the entire kugel out of the pan and put it on a platter if you prefer.

Enjoy and bless your hands! PJC

Jessica Grann is a home chef living in Pittsburgh.