Seasoned Sesame Spinach...

Korean banchan (side dishes) are vastly assorted where creativity has no bounds. Go to any Korean restaurant and you'd be treated to delicious complimentary refillable appetizers set in small shallow bowls to whet your appetite- greens, herbs, beans, fish, tofu, potato you name it, concocted in any flavours between spicy, pickle-ly, fermented, sweet or soy, or a combination. Sometimes just eating a bit of this and a bit of that with a bowl of hot steamed rice is all you need to be satisfied- forget ordering the main. ;).

A common Korean cooking technique for banchan is called tetch'im, which involves briefly blanching vegetables in acidulated water (1 part vinegar to 4 parts water). When vegetables are blanched, few nutrients are lost and they retain maximum texture, flavour and colour. One of my favourite dishes done in this method is spinach. Seasoned simply with garlic, green onion, soy sauce and sesame oil, this is a refreshingly fragrant and flavourful side that can accompany a Korean or any Asian meal really. My family and I love the intoxicating aroma of sesame oil in it...

Seasoned Sesame Spinach
Makes 4 to 6 servings

1-1/2 lbs. tender leafy spinach, well washed
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 clove garlic, minced
1 green onion, white and pale green part only, minced
1 Tbsp. sesame oil
1 Tbsp. toasted sesame seeds
salt and pepper to taste
pinch of Korean red pepper flakes

Wash spinach in rice water. Apparently its chalkiness makes a good cleanse.

Bring 3 quarts of water to a boil in a large skillet or pot and about 1 Tbsp. vinegar with a pinch of salt. Blanch spinach no more than 10 seconds and quickly plunge into ice cold water to stop the cooking; drain in a colander.

Take the cooled spinach and twist to wring out as much water as possible, or alternative use a paper towel to wrap before squeezing.

Transfer to a cutting board and cut into bite-size pieces. Add the spinach and seasoning except the pepper flakes in a large bowl; mix well. Transfer to a serving bowl and garnish with red pepper flakes and serve at room temperature.

The large amount of spinach is cooked down to fill a mere small dish thus packing lots of healthy goodness with each bite! Serve this as a side to accompany a meal of Korean BBQ Beef Wraps or to add tasty interest to a bowl of Korean Rice Porridge with Clams.