In Italy, where spinach is also a spring staple, a dish that’s cooked on a bed of spinach and gilded with a rich sauce is called “a la Florentine.” My version is rich in taste but much lower in calories, thanks to low-fat milk and very flavorful Parmesan cheese.
Ingredients
- 1 tsp grated lemon zest
- 1¾ cup 1% milk
- 3 tbsp flour
- ½ cup plus 2 tbsp freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- Freshly ground pepper
- Cayenne pepper to taste
- 1 pound fresh spinach
- 1 pound haddock fillets, skinned (sole, flounder, or orange roughy also work well)
- 2 tbsp Italian-style breadcrumbs
- 1 tsp olive oil
How to Make It
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
- Coat an 8-by-11-inch (or similar size) baking dish with cooking spray and sprinkle bottom with lemon zest.
- Make cheese sauce: In a small bowl, whisk together ¼ cup of the milk and the flour until smooth. Heat remaining milk (1½ cups) in a heavy saucepan over medium heat until steaming. Add flour mixture to milk and cook, whisking constantly, until sauce bubbles and thickens, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in ½ cup Parmesan, black pepper to taste, and a pinch of cayenne.
- Meanwhile, cook spinach, drain and press out excess moisture. Spread spinach over bottom of prepared baking dish.
- Arrange fish fillets over spinach, overlapping slightly.
- Spoon cheese sauce evenly over fish and sprinkle with remaining 2 tablespoons Parmesan.
- In a small bowl, mix breadcrumbs and oil. Sprinkle over cheese sauce.
- Bake 30 to 35 minutes until golden and bubbly. Fish should flake when poked with a small, sharp knife.
| Nutrition Facts |
Serving Size 1 |
Nutritional Value Per Serving | Calories 290 kcal Calories from Fat: 63 kcal |
|
% Daily Value*
|
| Total Fat 7 g 20% |
Trans Fat 0.0 g |
Cholesterol 81 mg 27% |
Sodium 554 mg 9% |
carbohydrates 25 g 19% |
Dietary Fiber 6 g 16% |
Protein 34 g 68% |
* Above mentioned %DVs (Percent Daily Values) are based on 2,000 calorie food intake.
DVs (Daily values) may be vary depending upon individuals daily calorie needs. Above nutritional values are estimates and should only be used as a guide for approximation. They are not allfoodchef.com recommendations. Calculations are based on average weight of 194 lbs. and ages of 19 to 50 years. |