Spinach puree ( dip ) with mushrooms and potatoes

Saturday mornings, or sometimes Friday evenings, is the time for grocery shopping. Last week it happened on Saturday and I loved it because we’ve been to the store first thing in the morning when everything was fresh and plentiful. So when I saw the fresh spinach bunches, I could not resist, so I bought two of them. The mushrooms were also so white and fresh … I had already a meal in my mind. Of course my spinach puree with mushrooms and potatoes. All I needed was some potatoes. Found them too … I know this is not a traditional dish it’s just our way to eat the puree spinach. When I was little we used to eat the spinach puree with hard-boiled eggs or fried eggs aside some potatoes buns. I loved and asked for this dish as soon as spinach was on the market. Still I was never able to make the spinach or the potatoes buns in my mother’s way so I gave up and found our own personal way to eat the spinach puree .I love the memory of my mother’s way but we enjoy every time our new and personal recipe.

Ingredients for 4 servings

for the spinach:
2 fresh spinach bunches
3 garlic cloves
3-4 tbsp olive oil
4 tbsp whole wheat flour ( of course you can use the white if you prefer)
4 tbsp of plain yogurt or sour cream ( or you can substitute with milk )
half of cup of milk or water
salt and black pepper to taste

for the potatoes
4 large or 68 small potatoes
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper

for the mushrooms
2 casseroles ( 227 g each ) white mushrooms
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 small lemon ( juice )
salt and pepper

4 hard-boiled eggs ( optional )

Let’s get started:

Wash the potatoes and the spinach very well with running water.

Put the potatoes with the skin on in a pot and cover with water. Add a bit of salt and bring to a boil for about 15 – 20 minutes. When a fork is going easily in the potatoes they are ready. Turn off the heat and cover with some cold water and let them sit just like that to cool down.

While the potatoes are cooking we can break the steam from the spinach. If you use baby spinach you can skip this step. Bring a large pot with water to a boil and when is bubble add the spinach. Do not cook more than five minutes. We don’t want to miss all the vitamins.

Strain the spinach and let it in the strainer to lose all the liquid. You can press it from time to time with a spoon.

Clean the mushroom with a brush or a cloth or peel the skin of you like it and leave them whole if not too large or cut them in half or quarters if they are too large. Place some olive oil in a skillet and add the mushrooms and cook stirring occasionally for about three-four minutes. Add the lemon juice, salt and pepper and cook for one-two more minutes. Keep them in w warm place.

Now it’s the right time to boil the eggs and to peel and mince the garlic.

Check on the spinach and if seems that it still have too much liquid press it more and then you can mice it very well on a cutting board. Place the minced spinach back in the strainer to lose more liquid if there is some left. In a deep skillet add 4 tbsp olive oil and the garlic and cook for one minute. You can discard the garlic but I like to feel it in my dish. Add the flour and stir. Add the yogurt and the milk and cook to a low heat until is a smooth sauce. Add more yogurt or milk if needed. It should have the consistency of a sour cream. When the yogurt sauce is ready add the minced spinach and cook for about 1 minute stirring continuously. Cover and keep it in a warm place.

Peal the potatoes. They should be a little bit warm, which is good because they will absorb the olive oil. Cut them in the desire from and pour some olive oil, salt and pepper and give them a light stir.

Now it’s time to plate the food and enjoy it.

Bon Appetite!!!

It seems to be a lots of steps in this dish but I am doing it for so long that I do not need more than one hour to have it done. But as well you can skip the potatoes or the mushrooms and just use the spinach puree as a dip. You won’t regret 🙂