Spinach Tart

(Updated from the archives)

This is one of my mom's stock standards and once you taste it, you'll quickly see why. It's a firm favourite with pretty much everyone with the exception of my brother who is a confirmed spinach hater. Well, you win some, you lose some! Can I tell you a secret though? I'll even eat the leftovers straight from the fridge the next day. Yeah, I'm weird like that. Or should I say lazy?

Spinach Tart

Adapted from Huisgenoot se Wenresepte 3

Serves 6 - 8

4 medium sized potatoes
2 tbsp milk
1 big bunch of spinach, chopped
1/4 tsp grated nutmeg
250g low-fat smooth cottage cheese
1 tsp olive oil
1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
1 teaspoon minced garlic 
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
250g extra-lean back bacon, chopped
1/2 cup of grated sharp cheddar
2 eggs
salt & pepper, to taste

1. Preheat oven to 180C.
2. Put potatoes in a pot of boiling water and cook until soft. Alternatively, microwave until cooked through. Peel the skins off (let cool down a bit first...) and mash the potatoes finely. Add a little bit of milk to ease the mashing process. Press the potatoes onto the bottom of an oven-proof casserole dish (lasagne-size).
3. Meanwhile, cook the spinach in a fryingpan with a little bit of water for a few minutes until wilted. Add nutmeg and half of the cottage cheese and season with salt & pepper. Keep aside.
4. In another frying pan, fry the onion with the garlic in a little bit of oil until starting to soften. Add the bacon and fry until crispy. Lastly, add the tomatoes and cook over medium-low heat until the tomatoes breaks down. Season to taste with salt & pepper.
5. Now spoon the tomato-bacon mix over the potato base, spread to cover the base evenly. Cover with half of the cheddar and top with the spinach mixture.
6. Beat the eggs together with the reserved cottage cheese, season with salt & pepper and pour over the spinach mixture.
7. Top with the rest of the cheddar and bake for 30 - 40 minutes or until golden brown and set on top.

Nutritional info (per serving): Calories 305.1 , Total fat 9.8 g, Saturated fat 4.0 g, Polyunsaturated fat 0.9 g, Monounsaturated fat 3.2 g, Cholesterol 114.1 mg, Sodium 699.8 mg, Potassium 1,098.9 mg, Total carbohydrate 31.9 g, Dietary fiber 5.2 g, Sugars 2.0 g, Protein 24.0 g

Good source of: Vitamin A 116.6 %, Vitamin C 53.0 %, Manganese 41.4 %, Folate 40.8 %, Vitamin B6 28.6 %, Phosphorus 21.4 %