A little bit of Greenery

As I was scrolling through my recipe box this morning, I experienced a minor freakout. I realized that I had not posted one recipe with vegetables. Not one! Much to my dismay, I found a long list of sweets, chocolate and more carbohydrates than you can shake a stick at. Don't get me wrong, I love the occasional sweet treat, but I was highly displeased at the lack of greenery. So without further delay, let's talk spinach. I am completely enamored with this little leafy green. Packed with vitamins and minerals, it has countless health benefits and it's a cinch to prepare. You can dress up it up virtually anyway you like and chances are it will be fantastic. I cook spinach all the time and it's one of the easiest vegetables to prepare. I wilt the spinach, which allows it to cook down quickly, while retaining all of it's beautiful green color. All it takes is a few simple ingredients. I start with a drizzling of olive oil, a few splashes of balsamic vinegar, garlic and red chile flakes and in no time at all you have the perfect dish. Do something good for yourself. Popeye will be impressed.

Wilted Spinach with Balsamic Vinegar, Garlic and Red Chile Flakes

Ingredients

2 tbsp olive oil

1 large box of pre-washed spinach

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1/4 tsp red chile flakes

4 capfuls of Balsamic Vinegar

1/2 tsp Salt (or to taste)

1 tsp Freshly Ground Pepper (or to taste)

1 tbsp lemon juice

In a large stockpot, heat the olive oil and balsamic vinegar over medium heat. Add the garlic and red chile flakes, cooking until fragrant. Add the spinach and adjust the heat to medium-high. Sprinkle the spinach with salt and freshly ground pepper, stirring occasionally until the spinach wilts and is bright green--approximately 5-10 minutes. Drizzle with lemon juice. Serves 4.