Serves 3 / Regardless of the mystique it enjoys, soufflé is actually easy to make. Prep tips: If preparing this more than four hours ahead, refrigerate the spinach mixture (steps 2-3) and let it come to room temperature before proceeding. Don’t forget to preheat the oven! “Folding” is done by gently slipping a spatula into the side of the mixture, lifting a small portion and turning it over onto the top, continuing until the mixture is well combined, to preserve the fragile air bubbles. These bubbles expand when heated, making the soufflé rise.
2 1/2 teaspoons unsalted butter, divided
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 ounces baby spinach
2 teaspoons chopped fresh dill
3 scallions, thinly sliced
2 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
1 teaspoon all-purpose flour
1/4 cup nonfat milk
2 egg yolks
3 tablespoons grated Emmenthal or Jarlsberg cheese
3 egg whites
Pinch of cream of tartar
1. Preheat oven to 400˚. Place a baking sheet in the middle oven section with no rack above it. Butter three 1/2-cup soufflé ramekins, using 1/2 teaspoon butter for each. Pour grated Parmesan inside, shaking to coat; pour excess into a small bowl.
2. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and drop in spinach. Stir for about 2 minutes, then drain. Rinse with cold running water, drain well, and squeeze spinach to press out every last bit of water. Chop coarsely and combine in a bowl with dill, scallions, and feta.
3. Melt remaining 1 teaspoon butter in a small saucepan. Add flour and whisk for about 1 minute. Pour in milk, whisking constantly; it should thicken in 1 minute. Remove from heat and whisk in egg yolks, then stir in Emmenthal cheese until melted. Season with a few grindings of pepper. Add to spinach mixture and combine thoroughly.
4. Whip egg whites until foamy. Add cream of tartar and continue whisking until stiff but not dry. (This means that egg whites are quite firm, but still smooth and flowing in texture; if you beat them longer, they will become dry and grainy.)
5. Scoop one-fourth of the whipped egg whites into spinach mixture and gently fold in with a rubber spatula. Scrape this mixture into remaining egg whites and fold together very gently. When thoroughly combined, divide mixture between prepared ramekins and smooth with a knife. Sprinkle evenly with remaining Parmesan cheese. Carefully wipe ramekin rims, then insert a clean paring knife as close to ramekin side as possible, to a depth of about 1 inch. Carefully run knife all the way around the edge and remove. This will help the soufflés rise evenly.
6. Place ramekins on heated baking sheet in oven, close door, and reduce temperature to 375˚. Bake 15-20 minutes, until soufflés have risen dramatically and browned nicely. Serve at once, before they lose altitude!
PER SERVING: 214 cal, 62% fat cal, 15g fat, 9g sat fat, 179mg chol, 15g protein, 5g carb, 1g fiber, 470mg sodium