Certain dishes evoke a great deal of nostalgia.
It’s a little trip back to your childhood, a holiday, your nan’s kitchen etc etc.
This recipe is a fully nostalgic one for me, taking me straight to my childhood home of Transylvania.
At the time of growing up, imported food was still exceptionally rare. (Post-communism had its merits, albeit none that I truly appreciated at the time.)
The lack of imported food meant we had to entirely rely on seasonal produce, preserve foods when there was a glut and make the best of every morsel of every foodstuff.
It’s a hipster dream now but back then it was, an often difficult, reality.
I always looked forward to spring.
Preserves (think A LOT of sauerkraut & similar items) were replaced by fresh, vibrant greens. Blossoms and berries added colour to the otherwise bleak landscape.
Pea season would soon be looming.
I loved fresh peas as a child.
I still do.
This recipe brings together the best of those greens that appear during spring and combines them with tasty peas.
The recipe works with any greens but spinach is perhaps the mildest. If you want to go wild with it, young nettles are a great alternative.
Give it a go.
I’m biased but it’s super tasty. (and very very frugal)
Ingredients to serve 2:
1 onion
1 clove of garlic
1 tablespoon of flour or gluten-free alternative
1 entire bag of spinach (200g approx)
1 mug of frozen peas
1 mug of milk or plant milk (it’s better with milk but you do you)
1 stock cube
A small bunch of parsley (10-15g approx)
Sea salt & black pepper to season
A drizzle of whatever oil for cooking
Toppings (entirely optional but totally recommended)
Creme fraiche - find it near double cream in supermarkets, it’s a cultured version of cream and is the traditional way to serve this dish. Almost everything has creme fraiche on it in Transylvania.
A boiled egg - for extra protein
A few extra herbs to sprinkle on top
Nuts or seeds for added crunch - I popped a few macadamias on top because I had some left over
Sliced avocado - entirely untraditional but it brings a different texture profile to the dish
Method:
Pop a saucepan on a medium heat.
Add the onion, garlic and a splash of oil.
Cook gently until the onion has softened.
Add the flour and cook for a further minute.
Time to add the spinach. You’ll likely need to do this bit by bit as the spinach wilts. Keep cramming it in there and cooking it down.
Once the spinach has wilted, pour in the milk and cook for a further minute.
Grab the parsley and pop it in a blender.
Pour the spinachey liquid over the parsley, season well with sea salt and black pepper and blend it until it’s mostly smooth (it doesn’t have to be perfect).
Return the green sauce to your saucepan.
Add the frozen peas and gently heat up it the peas are no longer frozen. Avoid boiling it too heavily because that’ll turn the vibrant green colours brown. It’s better to gently heat it and allow it to slowly bubble.
Check the seasoning and season again if it needs a bit more salt and pepper.
Top with any/ all of your chosen toppings.
Serve immediately.
The full video instructions are available here: Recipe video