Spinach with Sesame and Garlic

I am always looking for new easy vegetarian side dishes.  When it comes down to it, Alex is usually in favor of forgoing a vegetable side dish to an Asian meal in favor of rice.  As he said to me about 10 minutes ago "rice is a vegetable, it grows."  He usually enjoys the vegetable sides that we make (he particularly likes Sichuan Cucumbers), but as far as Alex is concerned, rice is always the better and easier option.  But sometimes I stick to my guns because I freaking love vegetables and because I am determined that Alex and I try to eat healthier when possible.  I'm totally on board with making pork belly and steak from time-to-time, so long as we balance it out with the occasional vegetarian meal.  I have briefly contemplated doing Meatless Mondays, but sometimes on Mondays I just want fried chicken.  Or a steak.  So long as we commit to having one vegetarian meal a week, I don't think it matters if it is on Monday, Friday, or Sunday.  I will admit that we have been terrible about eating vegetarian meals recently, as we are every winter.  Winter rolls around and I want heavier, fattier foods.  Then spring appears and with it I want salads, vegetables, and more fruit.  As soon as the farmer's markets come back to life I can't wait to experiment with veggies.  Today at the greenmarket behind the American Museum of Natural History I picked up some beautiful purple Peruvian fingerling potatoes and some honeycrisp apples.  As soon as squash season rolls around I will come home with all kinds of squash and eggplant to cook.  But until then, I will have to content myself with the staples that I can pick up in the grocery store - like baby spinach, napa cabbage, arugula, English cucumbers, and mushrooms.

I needed a nice and easy Japanese side dish to go with the Sake-Steamed Chicken we were preparing for dinner and this simple sauteed spinach dish seemed like the easiest choice.  It was my attempt to make goma-ae (spinach with sesame dressing).  The best thing about the recipe is that it is quick and easy to prepare, but flavorful.

Recipe after the jump!

Spinach with Sesame and Garlic Recipe

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/2 tbsp sesame oil, separated

1 tbsp garlic, minced

1 tsp ginger, peeled and minced

5 oz baby spinach

1 tsp sugar

1 tsp soy sauce

Salt to taste

1/2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds

Heat 1 tbsp sesame oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add the garlic and ginger. Once the garlic and ginger begin to sizzle and become aromatic, add the spinach. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the spinach is completely wilted.  Stir in the sugar and soy sauce. 

Remove from the heat. Season with salt to taste. Drizzle with the remaining sesame oil and sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds.  Serve.