Tuesday, December 27, 2011

Kitchie Tip: Draining Spinach

I love kitchen tips that make my life easier in the kitchen.  I love kitchen tips that make me bang my forhead with the palm of my hand and say "why the hell didn't I think of that?"  I have a lot of these to share with you.  Tips and processes that have continually made my life go from: frustrating and recipe-avoiding, to: duh and gimme-that-recipe!  So, because of this, today I am starting Kitchie Tips!  I hope that these tips will reach you, or anyone out there in desperate need of a shortcut, and make life easier in the kitchen.

The first tip I want to share with you, is another lead-up to my much alluded to spinach and mushroom roll.  Come on, come on, let's get on with it Maggie.  I know this is what you're thinking.  I am getting there.  I am taking you on a journey.  This meal is all about the journey.  And at the end, you will have a beautiful and well-earned meal.  This I promise you.

What I want to share with you is an invaluable tip I learned about draining cooked spinach.  I had been frustrated for years with pressing spinach in a strainer with the palms of my hand and still turning out watery, runny quiches and pastas.  I wish I remembered where I learned this tip from, but I don't.  So, whoever taught me this beautiful trick, thank you.  You deserve one million dollars for your insight.  Or at least some credit. 

So, here goes:

To drain all the water out of cooked spinach:

1. Place the cooked spinach in a clean towel, that you don't mind getting stained, on a clean surface (counter or cutting board).  The spinach will stain your towel green and I now have a designated "spinach draining towel" I keep in my kitchen.


2. Gather the towel around the spinach and wring it out, like you'd wring out a wet towel.


3. Twist the towel back and forth in both directions several times, until you get all the water you can out of the spinach.

4.  Unroll the towel and you will have perfectly drained spinach!  Use as directed in your recipe.

14 comments:

  1. Wow, this is so much easier than how I drain spinach lol. Don't know if you did this on purpose, but I'm seeing a connection between this spinach and that heavenly homemade ricotta...stuffed shells? Spinach lasagna? Ah, I'm so hungry!

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  2. I'm totally with you on the love for kitchen tips! I'll have to share this with David, who is usually the one cooking spinach.

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  3. Good tip! Someone told me to use a ricer, but what a pain to clean! Your idea is much more practical~

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  4. Brilliant! I'm slapping my keyboard to my forehead as we speak! I always squeeze it by hand and by the time I'm done, my hands are sore! Thanks and I look forward to your kitchen tips!

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  5. This is a great tip, the towel may get green but not so much your hands. I like that you have started the kitchie tip series. I am sure I can learn more and am always game for that!

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  6. I need to do this... I'm forever squeezing it out with my hands and burning my fingers because I'm too impatient to let it cool!

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  7. Haha, great advice.. I always get so huffy doing basic draining jobs!

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  8. Why the hell didn't I think of that?!?

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  9. Oh...my...God!! Thank you! This is going to make dealing with spinach like 1000% easier!

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  10. Now my spinach lasagna won't be soggy! Thank you, Maggie!

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  11. Great tip! And a pretty good work out too!

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  12. I have done this for years but it has never crossed my mind that this is not the way most people do it. My aunt told me that was the way you do it and I just never questioned it. LOL

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  13. Try squeezing it between two plates.

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  14. Try squeezing it between two plates.

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