“….spinach is full of vitamin A an’ tha’s what makes hoomans strong and helty”

Popeye in a 1932 strip

Many people have the idea that Popeye was so strong on account of the iron in Spinach, but in fact,  spinach actually contains beta-carotene, which the body converts to vitamin A. Does Vitamin A make you strong? Well, no. It’s essential for a healthy immune system though.

This recipe is based on tinned spinach, Popeye’s spinach of choice. You might think it was horrible, far inferior even to frozen spinach, let alone fresh – but it is not. It is just different.

And if you are travelling and self-catering, or sailing, tinned spinach is incredibly useful. If you’re travelling you can use UHT cream. If you really can’t lay your hands on some cream, you can substitute béchamel sauce.

This is a very easy, and good, way of cooking it. The secret is the Marmite (Marmite haters won’t know it’s there). You can also add a little grated cheese, lemon juice, butter….whatever you have to hand.

This also works with frozen spinach, as well as with aged, on-its-last-legs ‘fresh’ spinach.

Both tinned and frozen (especially in small lumps) spinach is incredibly useful:

• add to soups for extra flavour
• thicken a curry
• add interest to a pasta

Recipe for Mrs H’s quick and travelling creamed spinach with a secret

Serves 3-4 (double is fine for six)

Ingredients

• 2 tins of spinach
• 120ml/½ cup double cream
• 1 fat clove of garlic, crushed with 1 tsp smoked salt
• 1 generous teaspoon of Marmite
• Grinds of both black pepper and nutmeg. Or, even better, instead of pepper, a pinch of Urfa pepper flakes

Method

1. Drain the spinach well, pressing it into a sieve to get rid of the surplus liquid.
2. Put it in a saucepan, and start to heat.
3. Add all the other ingredients. Stir well.
4. Serve

For other posts using spinach on Saucy Dressings follow this link.