five spice spinach

{image credit: satakieli}

I've got nothing clever to say here. This is good and you should make it for dinner. Fin.

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Five Spice Spinach
(a riff on this creamed spinach recipe)

2 tablespoons butter
1 small yellow onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 cup whole milk or half-and-half
16 ounces frozen spinach, thawed and drained*
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon five-spice powder (I've been using Frontier)

1) Melt butter in skillet over medium heat. Add onion; saute for a minute, then reduce heat to low and cook, covered, until soft and translucent.
2) Add garlic and cornstarch. Raise heat to medium and cook, stirring briskly, for 30 seconds.
3) Add tomato paste and half of the milk. Whisk well to incorporate, then whisk in remaining milk. Bring to low boil and let cook, stirring often, until thick.
4) Stir in spinach, salt, and five-spice powder; heat through and adjust seasoning to taste. Serve immediately.

*You may of course use fresh spinach; you'd want to steam it first. But I am not exactly sure how much fresh spinach is needed to equal 16 ounces of frozen spinach. A lot, anyway.

Shared at Simple Lives Thursday.