Although tasty, this is hardly a fancy mash. It is something that I conjured up during one of Bubbles' I-don't-want-to-eat-vegetables phases. It surprised me when she first entered such a phase because we have always fed her greens. I used to pack broccoli florets as a snack for her, and she would happily munch on them. Today, she occasionally decides on a no-vegetable diet, and that is when I make sure she gets plenty of fruits, and serve up spinach-potato mash!
Spinach is a great vegetable to use in this recipe because it gets really soft when cooked. It also doesn't have much taste in itself, and is thus able to blend in with the other ingredients it is cooked in. Normally when I try to hide other vegetables, Bubbles will deftly pick them out. Not for this mash though. While she was first suspicious because of the colour, she didn't mind it once she ate some, as it tastes mainly of creamy mashed potato, something she absolutely enjoys.
I have used different types of spinach and they all gave pretty similar results. Round, sharp, bayam, baby etc. - whatever is in the fridge for the day gets used. In this recipe, the spinach is first boiled to remove excessive nitrates. It is also easier to cook it this way. Sometimes, I fry the spinach with finely chopped garlic instead. The garlic adds an aromatic flavour to the mash.
This mash is great as a side to go with roasts or stews. We sometimes drizzle gravy over it, although it tastes great on its own. It is fast to cook, and good to eat. Exactly the type of thing I want my kitchen to do!
Spinach Potato Mash
Serves 4 as a side
1 bunch of spinach leaves, chopped fine
5 medium-sized potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
115g salted butter (about half a regular block), cut into pieces
1 cup milk
Salt & pepper
1. Place spinach in boiling water quickly and remove when just wilted. Drain and set aside.
2. Boil potatoes. Cook till tender. Drain potatoes, leaving about a cup of water in.
3. Put cooked spinach in pot of boiled potatoes. Add butter and milk.
4. Mash everything together with a potato masher.
5. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
3 comments:
Hi corsage,
Question- if you boil the spinach, won't the nutrients be in the water? do you add the water into the mash too? I'd think it'll get pretty soggy?
Eveeleva
Hey babe your comment made me realise I forgot to include an important step! Will amend the post. I chop the spinach leaves till fine. The boiling is very quick - just to wilt them. I then drain and add to potatoes. Because the pieces are so small, they continue to 'cook' when mashed with the potatoes. You could also fry the spinach instead of boiling them if you wish!
oooh ...great tips! =) looking at it now is making me hungry!
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