Farmhouse Kitchen, Serves 4
Nigel and I enjoyed this great use of spinach with rice noodles. I prefer this dish with tofu, but you can use chicken instead. If you serve it with something else you can stretch it even further.
For the Sauce:
1 Onion (larger from the share), bottoms sliced thinly, save tops
1 Green Garlic, bottoms finely chopped, save tops
2 TB Toasted Sesame Oil
4 TB Peanut Butter
1 - 2 TB Red Curry Paste, depending on your taste
1 can Coconut Milk
2 TB Soy Sauce or Fish Sauce
1 TB Sugar (optional)
In a sauce pan, heat the oil over medium temp. Add the onion and garlic and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the peanut butter, fish sauce, and red curry paste. Stir and mix with the onion and garlic. Add the coconut milk and stir well to break down the peanut butter and curry paste. Add the sugar, if you are using it, and mix well. Remove from heat.
For the Spinach and Tofu:
2 TB Vegetable Oil
1 TB Toasted Sesame Oil
Green Garlic Tops, reserved from sauce, chopped
1/2 lb Tofu (or more if you like), cubed
1 bag of well washed Spinach, trim the very bottom tips, chop the stems, but keep the leaves whole
1 TB Cilantro, finely chopped
Green Onion top, finely chopped
Peanuts
Heat the oil in a skillet over medium high. Add the cubed tofu and cook, stirring occasionally, while you are prepping the spinach. As you are chopping the stems add them to the pan with the tofu. Once all the stems are chopped and added, mix well with the tofu, then place the spinach leaves right on top. Using tongs, turn the leaves over in the pan, so that what is on top goes to the bottom. Do this a couple of times, then put a lid on and allow to cook until the spinach is well wilted. We ate this over rice noodles, but it goes just as well with steamed rice. To serve, put the spinach/tofu onto a platter, pour over some of the peanut sauce, then top with chopped onion tops, cilantro, and a good sprinkle of peanuts.