Ingredients:

  Amount  Measure       Ingredient -- Preparation Method
--------  ------------  --------------------------------
  2             pounds  fresh spinach -- trimmed and cubed
                        salt
  1         tablespoon  butter
  1                     shallot -- peeled and minced
  2        tablespoons  pernod
  2        tablespoons  flour
     2/3           cup  half and half
  1              pinch  freshly ground nutmeg
                        freshly ground black pepper

Preparation:

1. Wash spinach thoroughly, then put it, with washing water still clinging to its leaves, in a large pot over medium heat. Sprinkle with salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until spinach has wilted to one quarter of its volume, 3-5 minutes. 2. Drain in a colander and cool under cold running water. Squeeze out excess water and roughly chop. Melt butter in a skillet over medium-low heat, and add shallots and cook until soft, about 10 minutes. Add Pernod, then stir in flour with a wooden spoon or a small whisk and cook 1-2 minutes to eliminate raw flour taste. Stir in half-and-half and, when heated through, add spinach and nutmeg. Cook, stirring occasionally, until creamed spinach is thick, about 3 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Nutritional Information:

144 Calories (kcal); 8g Total Fat; (46% calories from fat); 8g Protein; 13g Carbohydrate; 23mg Cholesterol; 225mg Sodium