Let Them Eat Spinach Cakes

Spinach soufflé, frozen from Stouffer’s, is one of my secret pleasures. Does that make it an indulgence? I can eat a whole box by myself, and believe me, I have. If I knew that I’d be alone for an evening – “Oh, you have a meeting tonight? Won’t be home for dinner? That's too bad.” – I’d be smiling on the inside knowing I’d be digging into the freezer later for one of those orange boxes and baking one right up, just for me. I think the box says it has “about 3 servings.” Nope. I would eat the whole thing, happily, joyfully, no regrets.

Other people, alone for an evening, might dig into a carton of ice cream with a spoon, or open a cold can of baked beans, but I'd go for that smooth and creamy Stouffer's spinach souffle every time. 

I love spinach any ol' which way – fresh in a salad or on a sandwich, added to soups or pasta dishes, creamed alongside a steak. Growing up, spinach was a staple at the dinner table, but my mother always served it the same way – topped with hard-boiled egg and drizzled with vinegar. Although I still like it that way, I love creamed spinach.

My husband (he wants me to come up with a special name for him when I talk about him here; I’m thinking about it) doesn’t like the creamed or soufflé versions as much as I do, so I began to make mini soufflés in muffin cups and freezing them so I could easily have one for breakfast or lunch. When I go teach a day at school, they’re great for a quick reheat in the microwave.

I started making these after reading a South Beach Diet cookbook and then began fooling around with them a bit to suit me a little better (not just to make them more fattening!)

So here’s my new secret pleasure . . . Spinach Cakes. But it's not a secret anymore.

Spinach Cakes
adapted from South Beach Diet
12 ounces fresh spinach
¼  cup grated Parmesan cheese
½ cup Greek yogurt, plain*
2 large eggs, beaten
1 clove garlic minced
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg (or about 5 scrapes of a whole nutmeg on a grater)
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Cook the spinach in a non-stick skillet until wilted; cool slightly and chop finely. (Or use ½ 10-ounce block of frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry. Or use a whole block and double the rest of the ingredients.)

Blend all together in a bowl and fill 8 paper-lined muffin cup (or grease them well.) Bake 20 minutes. Let stand a few minutes before eating.

Makes 4 servings, 2 spinach cakes a serving (about 140 calories a serving)

*Sometimes, I can't find Greek-style yogurt and it is more expensive.  So I've been buying non-fat plain yogurt and letting it sit in a strainer in the refrigerator for a few hours, or overnight, and I have thicker yogurt.)


(I just added the mushrooms in the picture to make the spinach cups a little prettier, ready for their close-up, Mr. DeMille.)