This recipe was prepared by Chef John Maxwell on Real Virginia, Virginia Farm Bureau’s weekly television program.

Maxwell, a certified executive chef, culinary educator and member of the American Academy of Chefs, shares delicious seasonal recipes in a Real Virginia segment sponsored by Virginia Grown, a program of the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

 

 

 

2 pounds spinach, washed and stemmed
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup coconut milk
½ tablespoon hot chile, minced
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 cup chopped dry-roasted Virginia peanuts

Blanch and drain the spinach. Chop it coarsely, and reserve

In a 4-quart pot, melt the butter and sauté the onions, but don’t brown them. Add the spinach; stir as it cooks until spinach is heated all the way through.

Add the coconut milk, and stir until mixture is heated thoroughly. Mix in the chile.

Add the cream cheese, and mix well as it melts. Turn off heat, and let the mixture melt the cheese.

Add peanuts, and simmer over low heat for 2-3 minutes. Blend and serve with a sprinkle of chopped peanuts on top.