From: Jesse Cool

Serves 4

I was brought up in a small town east of Pittsburgh, where shopping for stylish clothes was limited. To solve the problem, my mom took me to the big city, where we often had lunch at one of the original Stouffer’s restaurants. It was at this landmark that I first got hooked on this side dish of creamed spinach.

Ingredients

1 pound fresh organic spinach or 2 packages (10 ounces each) frozen
4 strips thick bacon, chopped
2 tablespoons butter
½ red onion, finely chopped
2 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
1½ cups organic milk or unsweetened soymilk
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
2 hard-cooked organic eggs, peeled and coarsely chopped

Directions

In a covered saucepan, heat 1-inch of water to boiling. Place the spinach in a steamer basket and insert into the saucepan. Cook the spinach until thoroughly wilted. Allow to cool. Using your hands, squeeze all excess juice out of the spinach. (When using frozen spinach, thaw in a colander and squeeze off excess water.) Place the spinach on a cutting board and coarsely chop it. Set aside in a bowl.

In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, cook the bacon until crispy. Drain on paper towels. Pour off the bacon fat and wipe out the pan. Return the pan to the heat and melt the butter. Add the onion and cook until softened. Stir in the flour and cook for 2 minutes, or until the mixture bubbles. Gradually whisk in the milk. Simmer, stirring frequently, over medium-low heat for 4 to 5 minutes, or until thickened.

Stir in the mustard, salt, and nutmeg. Allow to sit for 5 minutes. To serve, pour over the spinach and top with the bacon and eggs.