As we go through this week, cooks are gathering ingredients for Thanksgiving dinner. Besides the turkey, there are all those yummy, fattening side dishes — the bevy of foods that truly makes the Turkey Day dinner complete. There are mashed potatoes, sweet potato casserole, stuffing and perhaps creamed onions to name a few. But every Thanksgiving meal needs a little green, if not for health reasons, then for color. A buffet of turkey, gravy, potatoes and stuffing makes for a rather colorless affair.
(READ MORE: Recipe: Skillet Spinach Pie)
So consider adding spinach this year. Many spinach recipes are filled with unhealthy, calorific ingredients, such as cream cheese. But fresh spinach sauteed with lots of garlic and sesame is not only healthful, it’s as good as any fattening spinach recipe you can come up with.
I made this last Thanksgiving, doubling the recipe for a big crowd, and there were no leftovers to enjoy in the days ahead. This is the kind of dish that can be made ahead, but it’s so simple to make, it can be done in minutes before serving — you know how quickly spinach cooks. Be careful in toasting the sesame seeds — just a few seconds too long and they’ll burn, so keep an eye on them and enjoy a little Asian flair with your Thanksgiving dinner.
Garlic-Sesame Spinach