Flourless Spinach Soufflé

You want an elegant, but simple, perfect-every-time side dish? I discovered this after being extremely frustrated in trying to find a spinach soufflé recipe that did not contain flour. It occurred to me that without the flour, the egg itself would do the rising and create that light, fluffy soufflé texture if the proportions were right. After some trial and error, this has become a standard in my home. It is simple as hell, and comes out perfect every time. You have to get some of those 4 oz ramekins that you can pick up at any kitchen supply store or department store. Technically, a 4 oz ramekin will hold five ounces of measure. But a line of demarcation inside the ramekin holds the measure to four ounces. The remaining space in the ramekin is for the "lift" in the soufflé. If you follow this recipe exactly, I promise, it will come out perfect.

Ingredients
2 8-oz packages pre-washed baby spinach
1 clove chopped garlic
2 eggs
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese (like, Kraft in the green can - don't use fresh grated)
1/4 tsp nutmeg
2-3 tbsp olive oil
salt & pepper to taste

The Recipe
Heat olive oil in a sauté pan, add the garlic and spinach, cover and wilt the spinach. When the spinach has collapsed thoroughly, remove the lid and cook off all the water. When done, remove the spinach to a plate and pat dry with a paper towel. You want the spinach as dry as possible. Allow it to cool before introducing it to the mixture you'll make next. You'll be amazed at really how little of a pound of spinach you have left.

Whisk the eggs thoroughly in a mixing bowl, and then add the all remaining ingredients except the spinach. Mix well.

Fold in the spinach and carefully mix so as to not masticate the greens.

Pour mixture in a soufflé cup with enough room at the top for the mixture to expand. In other words, fill a 4 oz ramekin (which is really a 5 oz container) to the 4 oz line. Yes, I know. It's all very confusing. This recipe will give you enough spinach mixture to precisely fill four 4 oz souffle cups.

Place the four soufflé cups in a 350 degree oven for 35 minutes until the mixture expands and rises slightly and browns on top. You might find it easier to put the souffle cups on a sheet pan so you can put them in and take them out of the oven easily. Serve immediately, although if properly covered and held in the refrigerator, the soufflé will heat up nicely in a microwave by zapping for one to 1-1/2 minutes (although it will lose some of its "lift").