My Mom's Spinach in Garlic-Tomato Sauce ("Spinat in Knoblauch-Tomaten Tunke)

This is another little recipe from my Mom. This spinach tastes delicious! Can't get enough of it when she cooks it. With spinach I often have the problem that it tastes bland. Not this one. My Mom serves it with French Fries, I am using fried potato cubes, but it basically is the same. However, I have put my own little twist on the spinach by adding onions and a little feta cheese. Also, I discovered (as I had some leftovers) that it tastes really good on pancakes or crepes.

Ingredients:

 Spinach and Garlic-Tomato Sauce:

• 500 gram fresh spinach
• 5 cups water
• 3 tablespoons salt
• 2 tablespoons oil
• optional: 1 onion - finely chopped
• 4-6 cloves garlic - minced
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon harissa (spicy paprika paste)
• 1/2 cup water 
• salt
• optional: 1/4 cup feta cheese - cubed

Side of Potatoes (substitute for French Fries):

• 5-6 potaoes - cubed
• 1 liter salt water 
• 1 tablespoon oil
• salt

Preparation:

1. Prepare the spinach. Bring the water to a boil in a large pot. Add the salt and the fresh spinach leaves. Boil for about 10 minutes, just so that it starts to wilt. Then remove from heat and drain in a strainer. Set aside.
2. Prepare the sauce. Heat the oil and sauté the onions till almost translucent. Add the garlic, stir and fry for 2 minutes. Be careful that it doesn't turn brown. Add the tomato paste and harissa and stir. Cook for another minute. Then add the water, not too much. It is supposed to have sort of a creamy consitency.
3. Mix the spinach and the sauce. Add the spinach to the sauce, stir in feta cubes. Mix everything and heat up for a couple of minutes till the cheese is melted Add salt to taste. 
4. Prepare the potatoes. My Mom actually uses French Fries, but I deciced to go with freshly fried potato cubes. Cut the potatoes in little cubes. Heat up a small pot of salt water and boil the potatoes for about 10 minutes. They should not be completely soft. Then drain the potatoes. Heat up oil in a frying pan, add the potatoes and fry for 5 minutes. Don't stir too much, so that the bottom part of the potato cubes get real crispy.
5. Serve the spinach with the potatoes. If you want to be adventurous, serve it on top of a pancake or crepes.

Note: The onions in Step 2 are actually my addition, my mom immediately starts with the garlic and does not use onions. The feta cheese in Step 3 are also my idea and optional. 

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