Simple Sesame Spinach Recipes

SESAME SPINACH

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to the boil and fill a large bowl with cold water and a handful of ice. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, stir together the sesame oil, soy sauce, sesame seeds, vinegar, sugar, garlic and pepper to taste, until the sugar has dissolved. Set the dressing aside.
• Blanch the spinach in the boiling water until just wilted, then scoop straight into the cold water. Drain well and squeeze out any excess water. Gently loosen the clumps of spinach with your fingers, transfer to the bowl of sesame dressing and toss together. Cover and chill for about 1 hr to let the flavours mingle.

GARLIC-SESAME SPINACH

Steps:

• Cook 8 to 10 garlic cloves and a pinch of red pepper flakes in a skillet with vegetable oil until the garlic is golden. Add 10 cups baby spinach and cook until wilted; add a big splash of water and some salt. Top with toasted sesame seeds and drizzle with sesame oil.

JAPANESE SPINACH WITH SWEET SESAME SEEDS

Steps:

• Heat the sesame oil in a large skillet over medium heat until hot. Add the spinach 3 to 4 cups at a time. Cook and stir to wilt, then add more spinach.
• Grind the sesame seeds into fine crumbs using a mortar and pestle. When spinach is wilted, move it to the sides of the pan and sprinkle sugar in the center. When the sugar melts, stir in the spinach to coat.
• Transfer spinach to a serving plate and sprinkle ground sesame seeds on top.

QUICK AND EASY SAUTEED SPINACH

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the spinach to the skillet and cover; allow to cook 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic salt and cover again for another 5 minutes; remove from heat. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese to serve.

CHILLED SESAME SPINACH

Steps:

• Prepare an ice-water bath; set aside. Bring a large pot of water to a boil; season with salt. Add spinach, and cook just until wilted, about 30 seconds. Drain immediately in a colander, and plunge into prepared ice bath. Let spinach cool completely, about 30 seconds; drain again. Using your hands, squeeze excess water out of spinach, and transfer to a work surface. Coarsely chop spinach, and place in a medium bowl; set aside.
• In a small bowl, whisk together sesame oil, soy sauce, rice vinegar, and mirin. Add dressing and sesame seeds to the spinach; mix to combine.

SESAME SPINACH

Steps:

• Bring pot of lightly salted water to boil.
• Add spinach, remove as soon as leaves turn bright green (will shrink significantly).
• Immediately rinse with cold water.
• Drain and squeeze out as much water as possible (best to grab handful and squeeze like a ball) Place spinach in bowl with sauce mixture and toss well.

SPINACH WITH SESAME DRESSING

Steps:

• In a large pot of boiling salted water blanch spinach for 1 to 2 minutes and refresh. Squeeze water out firmly but do not wring. Lightly toss spinach to separate stems and leaves, and place in a bowl.
• In a hot dry skillet, toast sesame seeds until they begin to pop. Reserve a teaspoon of toasted seeds for garnish. Transfer the rest of the seeds to a spice grinder or mortar and pestle. Grind until smooth. Pour into a bowl, if necessary, and add sugar, soy sauce and dashi. Mix well and pour over spinach. Toss to coat. Garnish with reserved seeds.

SESAME STEAMED SPINACH

Steps:

• Bring the water to a boil in a large saucepan. Add spinach one bunch at a time, covering pan after each addition and adding more spinach once the prior batch has wilted. When all spinach is in the pan, let steam, covered, until completely wilted, about 30 seconds.
• Drain spinach in a colander, pressing down with a wooden spoon to extract as much liquid as possible; let cool slightly.
• Transfer spinach to a serving bowl, and drizzle with sesame oil, vinegar, and half the toasted sesame seeds. Toss well to combine. Season with salt and pepper. Serve warm, at room temperature, or chilled, and garnish with remaining sesame seeds.

SESAME SPINACH AND BROCCOLI

Steps:

• Cut broccoli into 1-inch flowerets and cut stems lengthwise into 2 x 1/4-inch sticks. Mince garlic. In a dry 10-inch heavy skillet toast sesame seeds over moderate heat, stirring, until golden and transfer to a small bowl. In skillet heat vegetable oil over moderate heat until hot but not smoking and cook broccoli, garlic, and red pepper flakes, stirring occasionally, until broccoli is crisp-tender, about 7 minutes. Add spinach and cook, stirring, until wilted, about 2 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and toss vegetables with sesame oil, seeds, and salt to taste.

COLD SESAME SPINACH

Steps:

• Wash spinach well, discarding any course stems, and drain in colander. In a 3- to 4- quart saucepan bring water to a boil. Add spinach and steam covered, 2 minutes. Drain spinach in colander, gently pressing out most of liquid. In a bowl toss spinach with oil, soy sauce, and salt and pepper to taste. Chill spinach, uncovered, for 25 minutes.
• While spinach is chilling, in a dry small heavy skillet (not non-stick) toast sesame seeds over moderate heat, stirring, until golden, 3 to 5 minutes.
• Toss spinach with sesame seeds and vinegar.

JAPANESE-STYLE SPINACH, WITH SESAME SEEDS

Steps:

• Toast sesame seeds by placing them in a pan in a 300-degree oven for about 10 minutes, until lightly brown. Set aside.
• Thoroughly wash spinach, dry it and remove stems. Coarsely chop.
• Heat peanut oil in a large skillet, add spinach and cook, stirring, from three to five minutes, until the moisture has evaporated from the pan and the spinach has just wilted.
• Spoon spinach into a serving dish, toss with sesame oil and soy sauce and serve sprinkled with sesame seed.