Ultimate Sesame Spinach Recipes

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.

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.

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.

SPINACH WITH SESAME SEEDS

Steps:

• Heat a saute pan over medium heat. Add the spinach, oil, sugar and soy sauce. Cook the spinach, stirring, until the leaves are just wilted, about 3 minutes. Spread the spinach out flat on a plate to cool quickly in the refrigerator for 10 minutes. (This will keep it a vivid green.)
• When the spinach is cool, taste and correct seasoning. Pile in a bowl and sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds.

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.

STEAMED SESAME SPINACH

Steps:

• Fill a large pot fitted with a steamer basket with 1-inch of water; bring to a boil over high heat. Add half of the spinach, cover, and steam until just wilted, 2 to 3 minutes. Using tongs, remove spinach from steamer, squeezing gently to remove excess moisture, and transfer to a serving platter. Repeat process with remaining spinach; season with salt.
• In a small bowl, whisk together vinegar, sesame oil, and soy sauce until combined. Drizzle dressing over warm spinach and sprinkle with sesame seeds; serve immediately.

SESAME SPINACH WITH GINGER AND GARLIC

Steps:

• Mince garlic and in a small dry skillet toast sesame seeds over moderate heat, stirring, until golden. In a heavy 6-quart kettle heat oil over moderate heat until hot but not smoking and cook garlic and gingerroot, stirring, 30 seconds, or until fragrant and golden. Add spinach by handfuls, stirring, and cook until just wilted.
• Serve spinach sprinkled with sesame seeds.

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.

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.

ULTIMATE SESAME SPINACH

Steps:

• Put the spinach in a large, dry frying pan over medium heat. Cover and cook until the spinach is completely wilted, about 5 minutes. Drain in a colander and squeeze out any excess moisture. Chop the spinach coarsely.
• Put the sesame seeds in a small, dry frying pan and toast over medium heat until light brown and fragrant, shaking the pan frequently, 3-5 minutes. Cool and grind the seeds to a powder in a clean coffee grinder or mortar and pestle.
• Combine the soy sauce, sugar, rice vinegar, and dashi and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Add the sesame powder and stir until well blended. Pour dressing over spinach.