Simplify, Simplify

• One of the best seasonings you can add to frozen spinach is unsalted butter. Its rich taste and hint of sweetness give bitter spinach just the right balance of flavors. Saute the defrosted and drained spinach in the butter along with salt and pepper, maybe more than you normally use to make sure the spinach is well seasoned. The results may surprise you with how delicious frozen spinach can be.

The Magic of Garlic

• A few slices of garlic or a teaspoon of minced garlic added at the end of sauteing give spinach character and body that it doesn't have on its own. You can add layers of garlic flavor by sauteing defrosted spinach in olive oil that has been infused with minced garlic for one-half hour before cooking, then adding garlic during cooking. Or, to finish the dish, add garlic-flavored breadcrumbs as a garnish after the spinach finishes cooking.

Feel the Heat

• Spinach benefits from heat of any sort to balance its essential cooling properties, according to the authors of "The Flavor Bible." After defrosting and draining the spinach, saute it in olive oil, season it with salt and add red pepper flakes, a few sprinkles of cayenne or a dash of hot sauce. Other seasonings that bring heat to spinach include grated, fresh ginger or Dijon mustard, which you can stir in along with the hot spices.

Amp Up the Flavor

• While sauces involve more work than sprinkling on salt, pepper or hot sauce, they do turn frozen spinach into a substantial side dish. Nutmeg is the classic spinach seasoning for creamed spinach made from a white sauce flavored with Parmesan or feta cheese. But you could also cook the spinach in an Indian curry sauce and garnish it with raisins, or use a Thai-flavored peanut sauce and garnish the dish with chopped peanuts.