Savvy Substitution

• Many creamed spinach recipes use heavy whipping cream, which contains 40 percent fat. Compare this to Greek yogurt, the creamiest style, which has 10 percent fat. If you want to reduce fat in your diet, replacing cream with yogurt is a smart substitution. Greek yogurt will provide the creamiest texture as a substitute, but if you want less fat in your creamed spinach, choose whole milk yogurt, which has 3 grams of fat, or low-fat yogurt, which has only 1 gram.

Fresh or Frozen

• You can make creamed spinach out of fresh or frozen spinach. Chop a shallot or onion and saute it in oil. Add thawed or fresh spinach. Generally, one box of packaged frozen spinach contains the equivalent of three bunches of fresh spinach. Once the spinach has cooked down, add seasonings, such as lemon zest and rosemary. Mix in low-fat yogurt until the dish reaches the desired, creamy consistency.

Baby Spinach

• If you have a quantity of baby spinach, you can turn it into a delicious Indian style creamed spinach dish. Heat a little oil in a skillet and add the baby spinach in stages, letting each batch cook down before adding more. Add fresh garlic and red chiles to the remaining oil. Sprinkle on turmeric and coriander. Return the chopped spinach to the pan and add 1 cup of whole milk yogurt. Heat on low and serve just as the yogurt begins to separate. Add salt to taste.

Nutty About Nutmeg

• Nutmeg is a classic addition to creamed spinach, mixing sumptuously with the cream or the yogurt. The addition of freshly ground black pepper is essential. Some chefs also add ground bay leaf and ground clove for added flavor dimensions. Cheese lovers will want to sprinkle on grated Parmesan to the finished dish.