God Bless Dan Wheldon

RIP Dan

I’m not a huge race fan, although the idea of auto racing is very exciting to me.  Yesterday was a very sad day for Indy car racing: British IndyCar driver Dan Wheldon, the winner of the 2011 Indianapolis 500, was killed in a 15-car collision.  It was heartbreaking to see the reactions of his fellow racers and his team.  RIP, Dan.  You will be missed.

London Broil with Creamed Spinach

Although we weren’t thinking about Dan Wheldon when we planned it, we had a sort of traditional English supper last night.  Consider it to be in your honor, Dan.  It consisted of London Broil, cooked medium rare (maybe not so typical of the Brits) with creamed spinach, broiled tomatoes and boiled new potatoes with butter, parsley and lemon juice.  It has been said of my creamed spinach that it doesn’t taste even like a vegetable.  I suppose that’s a good thing for those who are not fond of eating herbaceous plants.  I am not one of those, but I do love good creamed spinach.  My recipe was originally from the Silver Palate Cookbook, I think, although I doubt it’s exact.  It’s been years since I laid eyes on the actual cookbook, which is probably in a box somewhere in someone’s garage – maybe ours!  Anyway, here’s the recipe for Creamed Spinach:

1 box frozen chopped spinach

1 small onion, minced

4 strips bacon

1 T unsalted butter

Pinch of fresh-grated nutmeg

1 T all-purpose flour (I use the white whole wheat)

¾ C Half and Half, room temperature or warmed but not boiling

¼ - ½ of a brick of cream cheese or Neufchatel.  I would not recommend fat-free for this.

Salt and fresh ground white pepper to taste

Cook the spinach using just the water that’s frozen in the package.  Don’t overcook it; it should only take a few minutes.  Drain the spinach well and set aside in a strainer.  Cut the bacon into 1 inch pieces and fry in a small saucepan.  Remove with a slotted spoon and put on a paper towel to absorb the grease. Set aside.  Remove all but 1 T of bacon grease from the saucepan and add the tablespoon of butter to it.  Heat until sizzling.  Saute the onion in the bacon grease/butter combination until soft and translucent.  Sprinkle with flour and cook for 2 – 3 minutes.  Add the Half and Half and stir or whisk until it’s smooth and creamy and slightly thickened, about 3 minutes.  Add the nutmeg and stir gently.  Squeeze all of the remaining water out of the spinach and add to the flour/Half and Half/onion mixture.  Mix well.  Add the cream cheese or Neufchatel cheese a little piece at a time, until it’s thoroughly blended into the spinach mixture.  Add the bacon pieces and salt and pepper to taste.  This can be made ahead and re-heated in the microwave, or in a covered saucepan with a little Half and Half added.  Sometimes if I’m feeling particularly decadent, I add a little pat of butter to it just before serving.  This is also really good inside of a tomato that’s been stripped of its insides.  The combination of creamy spinach and tangy tomato is very yummy, and makes a colorful and festive side dish.