Egyptian Style Spinach (Sabanek)

Ingredients

• 1 bunch fresh spinach (cut into small strips)
• 1/2 lb stew meat
• 2 large onions, sliced
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 garlic clove, chopped fine
• 2 chicken bouillon cubes
• 3 teaspoons tomato paste
• 2 tomatoes (blended in blender or food processor)
• salt
• pepper
• 1 dash coriander
• 1 dash nutmeg (grated from whole nutmeg if you have, if not ground ok)
• 1 dash Arabic seven spice
• 1 dash cumin

Directions

1. 1

   Wash spinach well and cut into small sized strips. I usually take a few leaves, and slice together into strips, leave the stem, not problem. (This does not have to perfect, you just want to get them into longer, smaller strips.) Set aside.

2. 2

   Boil stew meat in water with the two sliced onion and two bouillon cubes. Cook until tender approximately 2 hours.

3. 3

   Strain out meat and pour broth into a large bowl.

4. 4

   In that same pot used for cooking meat, add chopped onion, garlic and butter and sauté until soft.

5. 5

   Add tomato paste, all spices, and stir around until well coated.

6. 6

   Add pureed tomatoes, ½ cup water and approximately 2-3 cups of broth. (You can add or decrease broth, depending on how thick you'd like it to be, check while cooking and add more or less broth. End result should be thick, but watery enough to be like a thick sauce -- hope that makes sense.).

7. 7

   Bring to a boil, add spinach and simmer for 20- 30 minutes on low heat.

8. 8

   Serve in bowls next to plates of rice and browned fideo noodles or with pita bread for scooping.