*Vegan
Here’s another classic side dish from the Brooklyn region of Italian cooking. A bag of frozen spinach costs $2.50 in the supermarket and yields six portions; if you tried to do the same thing with the fresh spinach they sell as salad greens, it would cost ten times as much. The bread crumbs not only add flavor, they soak up any extra moisture from the frozen spinach.
Olive oil
6 garlic cloves, sliced Goodfellas-thin
Punch of kosher salt
One 20-ounce bag frozen spinach, defrosted
½ teaspoon lemon juice
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (Use less if you’re a hot food wuss.)
½ teaspoon raisins
1 cup bread crumbs (any kind you like, seasoned or plain, panko or homemade)
1. Cover the bottom of a large pan with olive oil and place over medium heat. Add the garlic slices and the salt. Stir and sauté for 2 minutes, or until fragrant.
2. Add the spinach, lemon juice, red pepper flakes, and raisins; keep stirring and cooking for 5 minutes more.
3. Stir in the bread crumbs and cook for 2 minutes more.
4. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.