Sauteed Spinach with Goat Cheese and Pignoli Nuts

 This is an easy side dish (or main dish—the way I like it!).  Spinach was never my kids' favorite, which I think is the case with most kids. The only way I could get them to eat spinach when they were younger was to buy the canned spinach with Popeye on it. I would have to show them the can, and have them watch me open it and put it in the pot. I guess they figured if Popeye could eat it, then they could, too!  Today my son Jimmy loves this more grown-up version of spinach. He would eat the whole dish...and has...if I let him. —Lisa 



You'll need:
18 oz fresh spinach
3 cloves fresh garlic, sliced thin
2 ½ turns of the pan of extra virgin olive oil
¼ cup pignoli (pine) nuts
Generous handful of crumbled goat cheese

In a large, deep pan sautée the garlic in the oil on low heat for 1-2 minutes. Be careful not to burn the garlic. Add the spinach (it looks like a lot but it shrinks down to nothing.) Toss the spinach, cover, and turn the heat off.

With the heat off, toss every now and again until the spinach is wilted almost all the way. Add goat cheese and cover.

Meanwhile, toast the Pignoli nuts on low heat and only until you can smell that woodsy aroma of the nut. Be careful not to burn them.

Right before serving, toss the spinach again and add the nuts.

The cheese will be slightly melted and adding the pignoli nuts gives the spinach just a little crunch. Add some grilled chicken or sausage and this side dish becomes a meal in itself. Take that Popeye!