Spinach is an extremely popular salad vegetable. What can you cook from spinach? What is its use? Who can it harm? Its tender, crisp, dark green leaves are one of the favorite ingredients of chefs across the planet. Spinach is a very nutritious food that is low in calories but very high in vitamins.
What are the benefits of spinach?
Spinach is an excellent source of antioxidants, folic acid, magnesium and bone-strengthening vitamin K. One hundred grams of boiled or stewed leaves contains the daily requirement of vitamin K. Spinach leaves are a high-fiber food and an excellent source of vitamin C. It contains twice as much fiber as any other green.
Like any dark green vegetable, spinach is an excellent source of beta-carotene. It is also a rich source of omega-3 fatty acids. Regular consumption helps prevent osteoporosis (weak bones). In addition, spinach is believed to protect the body from cardiovascular disease, colon and prostate cancer.
Who can spinach harm?
Spinach is not recommended for people with certain diseases. People with problems with joints, kidneys, and gall bladder should be careful. Spinach contains oxalic acid, which can crystallize in the joints, bile and urinary tracts of some people. It is not recommended to consume spinach for people with thyroid dysfunction. Many people may have an allergic reaction to it.
Studies have shown that its regular use can slow down age-related changes in brain function. Spinach contains carotenoids that will protect your eyes from age-related cataracts.
How to eat spinach? Spinach can be eaten fresh, boiled or stewed. Fresh leaves should be a bright dark green color. Do not eat yellowed or wilted ones.
Spinach is a great addition to any salad. But you can prepare separate dishes from it. Usually, before use, it is boiled in salted water or stewed in a frying pan with a small amount of water.
The volume of spinach leaves decreases significantly during cooking.
How to Cook Spinach in the Microwave
This is generally an excellent method of preparation, because it preserves the nutritional value of the vegetable, and takes little time and effort. In this case, you don't have to add water. Simply place the spinach leaves in a cup and leave it in the microwave for 3-5 minutes. Stir them two or three times during this time.
Chopped boiled or steamed spinach leaves are an excellent addition to soufflés or omelettes. It is often used as a filler for stuffing everything from pasta and noodles to chicken breasts.
Stewing spinach leaves in butter or olive oil will add a different flavor to the dishes to which they are added.
How to maintain the bright green color of spinach leaves?
Blanch it: place the leaves in a colander and place it in a pan of boiling salted water. Repeat this 5-6 times for 1-2 minutes. And then pour cold water over the leaves. Blanched leaves will shrink in volume but remain bright green.
If you are not going to cook anything from spinach yet, then dry the leaves with a paper towel, put them in a bag or plastic container, and put them in the refrigerator. Leaves treated in this way will perfectly retain their nutritional properties for 3-5 days.
Spinach leaves can be used in salads. Fresh or boiled, they go well with mushrooms, eggs, onions, and garlic. Spinach is very tasty with sour cream, mayonnaise, natural yogurt, grated cheese, especially Parmesan. Dishes with it are often seasoned with grated nutmeg, mint, cumin, ground pepper, and pine nuts - this only enriches its taste.
Finely chopped spinach to a paste is added to smoothies and juices - this gives them a cheerful bright green color.
It should be washed very carefully, since sand and earth have the ability to linger in the folds or bulges of the leaves. Even the spinach that you buy packaged in supermarkets must at least be rinsed under running water. Do not leave it in water for long as this will cause loss of nutrients. Naturally, spinach frozen in briquettes is not washed. But after defrosting, you should squeeze out excess moisture.
The leaves of some varieties of spinach have quite thick petioles that should be removed before preparing any dish.
If you have never tried spinach, then you did not live in America at the beginning of the 20th century. At that time, the States, and after them other Western countries, were gripped by an epidemic of love for this broad-leaved vegetable due to rumors about the colossal iron content in it. They say that the reason for the latter was a banal mistake by the researcher who missed a decimal point in the number. While the misconception was dispelled (and this took decades), millions of children managed to “fill up” with the healthy product that caring parents packed their treasures with pounds.
However, let’s not rush to sympathize with the unfortunate children. The benefits of spinach are still the subject of research and debate, but its taste remains unchanged and loved by many, and the cuisines of different nations are replete with recipes for wonderful dishes using it. And the question “what to cook with spinach” remains relevant for many housewives.
Don't chew old spinach leaves - give them to your hamster...
Spinach is eaten raw, but only young leaves, up to 5 cm in size, while old leaves are rough - they are boiled, steamed, stewed and fried.
Wash fresh greens very thoroughly in running water before eating and try to store them in the refrigerator for no more than a week.
And if every now and then you come across spinach bought for the occasion, and you realize with regret that it will end up in the trash, it is better to freeze it - the leaves are perfectly stored in the freezer. But even better - try cooking one of the delicious dishes from spinach, the recipes for which we have collected for you in this review.
Raw foodist cuisine: salad of spinach leaves, raspberries, nuts, currants, pears
American classic – spinach puree with cream
As we have already said, Americans have long and consistently tried to heal their bodies by eating spinach in large doses, so with it (that is, on it) they ate the dog, and you can freely add the word “classic” to their recipes.If you prepare this spinach dish at home, you will be able to appear like an American cuisine connoisseur in front of your friends at steakhouse restaurants, since it is one of the most common side dishes for steaks.
So, find the following products in the refrigerator:
- butter – 2 tbsp
- flour – 1 tbsp
- moderately fat cream (milk is possible) – 180 ml
- salt, black pepper, paprika - a little each
- Parmesan, Romano or similar hard Italian cheese - half a glass, grated (yes, yes - the puree will turn out “golden”; if you want an economical option, try using another cheese, but be sure to be hard or, in principle, you can do without it at all)
- nutmeg - a quarter teaspoon
- and finally, spinach - two tightly packed glasses
We start preparing the puree by processing the spinach. If you take it out of the freezer, defrost and squeeze out the water. If the greens are fresh, steam them a little or simmer them in a hot frying pan until they become soft.
Now put a small saucepan on low heat, melt the butter in it, stir the flour in the butter and let it boil for a minute. Add the cream and nutmeg here and boil for another two minutes. The sauce should thicken.
Add the spinach, cook for a couple of minutes (don’t simmer, just wait for the leaves to warm up well too), add salt, pepper, season with cheese and stir everything very well. Remove the finished puree from the saucepan.
Creamed spinach is a universal side dish for meat and fish dishes, which you can serve with steak or chicken, meat loaf or baked pike perch.
Spinach croquettes
Spinach soup with egg and yogurt
This soup is one of the delicious and quick dishes that you can prepare for breakfast, in between ironing your husband’s shirt and putting on makeup. True, provided that you have ready-made meat broth.
Ingredients:
- spinach – 450 g (fresh or frozen)
- meat broth – 750 g
- butter - one and a half tablespoons
- flour - 2 tbsp. (without slide)
- nutmeg - quarter tsp
- Greek yogurt (special filtered yogurt without whey)
- egg – 1 pc.
- lemon juice - from a quarter of the fruit
How to make delicious spinach soup
There is no need to pre-cook fresh spinach; strain the water from defrosted spinach. Bring the broth to a boil and cook the spinach in it for 10 minutes. The pan should be closed, and the fire should be set at such a level that the broth simmers gently. After this, strain the spinach and leave it in a separate bowl, and heat the oil in a saucepan, add the flour and cook for a minute, stirring constantly. Now we return the broth here, boil everything over low heat under the lid for five minutes, add spinach, nuts, salt and pepper.Our soup is almost ready. All that remains is to add yogurt and lemon juice, bring almost to a boil again and remove from heat, stirring well. Once in the bowls, decorate the soup with pieces of boiled egg and paprika.
Spinach dip
Spinach and apple smoothie
Undoubtedly, fruit-berry-vegetable mixtures made from fresh fruits are healthy. Undoubtedly, the tender pulp, whipped in a blender with ice, tastes good. But is this the main advantage of the trendy drink of our time? Listen closely and you will understand that 50% of the popularity of a smoothie is made by its name. This is not some banal puree or hackneyed cocktail - this is something tender, mysterious, alluring...
There are several components in this smoothie, but the central one is spinach, and its flavor is strong. Do not serve spinach smoothie to those who have a cool relationship with spinach - only amateurs will be able to fully appreciate this drink.
Ingredients:
- spinach – 2/3 cup of compacted fresh or frozen greens
- medium sweet and sour apple – 1 pc.
- peach – 1 pc.
- thick low-fat yogurt without flavoring - 2 heaped tablespoons
- orange juice – half a glass
- cubed ice - half a glass (if the spinach is fresh)
How to make a spinach and fruit smoothie
Peel, pit and rough core the apple and peach and cut into slices. Place fruit, spinach, juice, yogurt and ice in a blender and blend. Frozen spinach does not need to be thawed, and in this case we do not use ice. Whisk until the consistency of the drink resembles an airy puree (just remember, this is not a puree, this is a smoothie!). If it gets too thick, add a little more orange juice.
To be honest, a herbal shade with grains of bright greenery does not whet everyone’s appetite, so pay great attention to serving - take a beautiful glass and don’t fill it to the brim, then the accents will shift from the color of the smoothie to the glass. The drink can be decorated with a rosette of young spinach leaves, and the edge of the glass with a very thin slice of orange.
Spinach with chickpeas and sun-dried tomatoes
Spinach and pickled radish salad
Of course, one cannot ignore salads in which green, juicy young leaves ask themselves. This interesting salad will appeal to lovers of marinades, and it contains very simple and ordinary ingredients.
Ingredients:
- fresh spinach – 2 handfuls
- eggs – 2 pcs.
- radishes – 10 pcs. (average)
- sugar – 50 g
- olive oil – 2 tbsp
- salt - to taste (about a teaspoon)
- red wine vinegar – 75 ml
First, rinse the salad well, shake off the water and leave it to dry, while at this time we marinate the radishes. For the marinade, mix vinegar, salt and sugar (allow to dissolve completely). Mix radishes cut into thin slices in the marinade and leave for half an hour.
We remove the radishes from the marinade, but do not throw away the marinade itself - we will need it for dressing. Mix olive oil and 3 tablespoons of marinade in a bowl, add a little pepper (you can add additional salt) and mix spinach leaves in this dressing.
Now all that remains is to place the salad on portioned plates. The spinach can either be mixed with radishes and large pieces of boiled eggs, or placed as a base, radishes on top, and the eggs used to decorate the plate.
We also put bowls with the remaining dressing on the table - for those who like sour things. Well, if your stomach is sensitive to vinegar, try weaker types - apple or rice.
Spinach with tomatoes and orso pasta
What else can you cook with spinach?
Spinach is the true ubiquitous Figaro of vegetables. It is found in hot soups, meat dishes, omelettes, side dishes, salads, and drinks. Stuffed cabbage rolls are wrapped in spinach, added to porridge, green pilaf, pickled, salted, and canned. In a word, as soon as he is not bullied, he endures, endures... and pleases us with delicious and healthy dishes.
By the way, about the benefits. Despite the fact that it contains much less iron than initially thought, it contains vitamins, microelements, and dietary fiber; spinach has a lot of protein, carbohydrates, and some fat. Therefore, eat it with pleasure and benefit, but remember - good is what is in moderation.
Spinach pie
What to cook with spinach © Magic Food.RU
The homeland of spinach is Persia. This vegetable came to Europe during the gloomy Middle Ages. At first it was used as a mild laxative, but then they discovered that this nondescript herb is quite filling.
Beneficial features
B, B vitamins, vitamins C, P, PP, D2. Spinach is rich in mineral salts, in particular iron compounds. It is second only to green peas, young beans and meat. It is a champion in iodine content, which invigorates the spirit and protects against aging.
And what is important: all these useful substances are resistant to cooking and canning!
Contraindications
Spinach contains a lot of oxalic acid, so you need to limit its consumption by children, people suffering from kidney stones, gout, liver and gallbladder diseases. However, they say that during cooking this acid is neutralized by the addition of milk and cream, and in fresh spinach leaves it is not at all terrible.
How to choose
Young spinach is good to eat raw in salads and dips, while older, rougher leaves are steamed, fried and stewed. There are also winter and summer spinach: the winter spinach has darker leaves. There are three main varieties of spinach on sale: Victoria (a rosette of round, thick, curly, shiny dark green leaves), Gigantic (a rosette with a diameter of 12-50 cm of elongated oval, slightly bubbly light green leaves) and Gaudry (a rosette of smooth leaves).
In supermarkets, spinach is sold in packaging, washed and prepared for consumption. When buying spinach at the market or in bulk, choose fresh stems with green leaves.
Getty Images/Fotobank
How to store
Wrap unwashed spinach in a damp cloth and store in the refrigerator for no longer than two days. Before use, rinse it and cut off the withered parts. For longer periods, spinach should be frozen.
How to cook
Spinach has many valuable flavor properties. But, I suspect, the main thing for which chefs value it is its persistent emerald color, which is not afraid of any heat treatment.
It is noteworthy that when cooking spinach, no liquid is added to the pan! Before cooking fresh spinach, it is washed, chopped and placed in a saucepan with a lid without water. Keep on fire for several minutes, turning several times. Then the released moisture is drained and squeezed through a sieve.
Spinach goes well with bacon, nutmeg, cream, cheese, pine nuts, tomatoes and chickpeas.
Several unconventional recipes
Credits
Stuffed cabbage rolls in spinach leaves
Ingredients:
750 g ground beef
40-50 pcs. large spinach leaves
2 bunches of green onions
1 onion
50 g butter
juice of 1 lemon
2.5 tablespoons flour
5 tablespoons sour cream
Dill, salt and pepper - to taste
Vegetable oil for frying
Place spinach leaves in boiling water for a few seconds.
Prepare the filling. Fry chopped onions in a deep frying pan until golden brown. Add minced meat to the pan and fry for about 5 minutes. Then add the rice and continue to fry for another 5-7 minutes.
Wrap the minced meat in spinach leaves. Place the resulting cabbage rolls in a saucepan in rows, sprinkle with finely chopped onions and dill, add warm water to the level of the penultimate row of cabbage rolls, pepper, salt and cook over low heat. When the rice is almost ready, add flour mixed with butter, lemon juice and place the pan, uncovered, in the oven.
Serve with fresh sour cream.
Creamy spinach sauce
Ingredients:
10-30 pcs. large spinach leaves
200 g 30% cream
20-30 g butter
1 teaspoon lemon juice
½ teaspoon sugar
2 cloves of garlic (if anyone likes)
Salt, pepper - to taste
Rinse the spinach leaves with running water, drain in a colander, pour over boiling water and squeeze out excess liquid. Do this with a knife until greenish juice begins to stand out. Grind the spinach until almost smooth.
Heat the cream in a deep frying pan over low heat, add butter, salt and pepper, add sugar, lemon juice and mix thoroughly. Then begin to slowly add the spinach mixture to the sauce, stirring continuously. When the sauce boils, remove from heat.
This sauce is good for any fish and seafood.
We use many products in our diet every day: meat, fish, bread, water, fruits and vegetables familiar to everyone. Many people cannot imagine their diet without potatoes, cabbage, beets, carrots and legumes, and in the summer season - without cucumbers, peppers and tomatoes. But there are vegetables that we know very little about and very rarely or not at all include in our diet. I'm talking about spinach.
These green leaves are very healthy and, thanks to their neutral taste, they can be added to almost any dish: to meat and fish - spinach will give them softness and a delicate flavor, as a filling in strudels, pancakes and pies, to soups - they are quick to prepare , satisfying and healthy.
Spinach stewed in cream with leeks
Kitchenware: stove, cutting board and knife, frying pan and wooden spatula, portion plates - 2 pcs.
Ingredients
Choosing the right ingredients
- Spinach must be fresh.
Important! Few people know that if spinach is not stored in the refrigerator for longer than 48 hours, then toxic compounds are formed in its leaves and it can no longer be consumed raw or in prepared dishes - this is fraught with poisoning. Ready-made spinach dishes also do not store for a long time; it is better to eat them immediately after cooking. So what should you pay attention to when choosing spinach? - Pay attention to the color of the leaves. They should be a rich green color; a bright color indicates that this is a fresh product. There should be no defects on the greens - the leaves should be smooth, elastic and juicy, and if there are yellow, brown or black spots, then these are signs of damage to the leaves by insects or traces of treatment with plant protection products against pests, such spinach should not be taken. Withered or wrinkled greens are also not worth buying.
- Fresh spinach smells nice, but if you don’t hear the smell at all or feel an unpleasant smell, then most likely such greens have been lying around for several days and you shouldn’t take them. If you press the edge of the leaf and hear a slight crunch, then the product is fresh and was picked no more than 12 hours ago.
- Pay attention to the thickness of the stems of the leaves; if they are wide and fleshy, then the greens are overripe. There is no need to take overripe greens; they contain a lot of bitterness.
Step-by-step preparation
Preparation
- Sort out the spinach leaves (300 g), rinse them with running water and let it drain.
- Wash the leek (1 stalk), cut off the green part (we won’t need it), and cut the white part into thin half rings.
- Peel 2 cloves of garlic and finely chop it or put it through a garlic press.
Preparing the side dish
Recipe video
It’s possible to prepare a tasty and healthy side dish in just 20 minutes. Watch the video and cook.
How to serve and with what
This easy-to-prepare dish goes well with whole boiled and mashed potatoes, rice and pasta, meat and poultry. It can be served with buckwheat, look at how delicious it is to cook buckwheat as a side dish, and with any porridge, even pearl barley, which can be deliciously cooked as a side dish. Good served with bacon. This dish can be used as a filling for pancakes.
Fried spinach with egg
Cooking time: 30 minutes.
Number of servings: 2.
Calorie content is: 95.9 kcal per 100 g.
Kitchenware: large saucepan, slotted spoon, colander, knife, cutting board, frying pan and spatula, plates (2 pcs.) for serving the finished dish.
Ingredients
Cooking sequence
- Sort and wash 600 g of spinach leaves.
- Blanch them in a large saucepan of boiling water for about 3-5 minutes.
- Remove with a slotted spoon into a colander and let the water drain, you can squeeze it lightly.
- Peel the onion and cut it into small cubes.
- Fry the onion in a frying pan in vegetable oil until golden brown.
- Add spinach to the fried onions and simmer for 1-2 minutes.
- Beat 2 chicken eggs into the pan.
- Salt and pepper to taste. Stir the whole dish and cook for another 1-2 minutes.
- Serve with a tomato wedge and bread.
Recipe video
This recipe belongs to Armenian cuisine. Its preparation will not take much time, but the benefits of this dish will be enormous, especially for people leading an active lifestyle. If you want to feed your household a delicious, vitamin-rich breakfast, watch the video of cooking fried spinach with eggs.
Spinach with rice in Greek style
Number of servings: 4
Cooking time: 50-60 minutes.
Kitchenware: wooden cutting board, knife, grater, deep frying pan, wooden spatula, bowl and serving plates.
Ingredients
Step-by-step preparation
- Peel the onion and cut into small cubes.
- A bunch of fresh herbs: wash thyme or green onions, dry and finely chop.
- Peel 2 cloves of garlic and cut it into slices.
- Place a large, deep frying pan on the fire, and when it gets hot, add 80 ml of vegetable oil.
- Fry chopped onion in oil.
- Add chopped herbs (3 tablespoons) and garlic and fry for 1-2 minutes.
- Add 250 g of washed rice to the pan and mix well with a wooden spatula until the rice is coated in oil.
- Pour 100 ml of dry wine into the rice and, stirring, wait 1-2 minutes until all the alcohol has evaporated.
- When there is no liquid left in the pan (there will be only oil), pour 1 liter of clean water over the rice and add a bouillon cube if desired.
- Cover the pan with a lid and cook for 15-20 minutes.
- While the rice is cooking, sort out the spinach, wash and dry it. Place in a dry bowl and add salt, stir to release the juice.
- When the rice is almost done, lightly squeeze the spinach and add it to the rice.
- After boiling, cook for about 5 more minutes.
- Wash the lemon well, grate the zest and squeeze out the juice. Add juice and zest to the pan. Salt and pepper to taste. If desired, sprinkle with chopped fresh dill.
- Serve in portions: on a plate with a slice of white bread, feta cheese and a glass of dry white wine. In Greece, where this dish originates, it is considered a main dish, but it can also be served as a side dish.
Recipe video
Do you want to cook a delicious, satisfying and inexpensive Greek dish? Then watch the video, cook and enjoy.
- Spinach leaves contain a lot of water, so if you want to saute it, don't add any liquid other than oil to the pan.
- It cannot be cooked for a long time, otherwise it will lose its beneficial properties.
- Spinach tastes bland, so when preparing dishes from it, especially the first ones, sorrel is added to it.
- Spinach dishes are perfectly “revived” by juice and lemon zest or lemon dressing, which is prepared as follows: add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to 1 teaspoon of lemon juice and stir.
- Side dishes made from spinach, and vegetables in general, go well with all types of meat. I recommend learning how to cook, it will complement the taste of the meat, emphasize the degree of its roasting and help it quickly digest. Another very tasty and satisfying side dish is beans, I advise you to see how to cook deliciously and pamper your loved ones.
Spinach and side dishes made from it should definitely be present in your diet. It is easily absorbed by the body, and a small portion is enough to replenish the body with minerals and vitamins. It is very easy and quick to prepare. Have you already prepared spinach according to my recipes? Write down what worked for you and what didn’t.
Before cooking, spinach must not only be thoroughly washed, but also sorted. Yellowed or wilted leaves should be set aside and not used for cooking. If there are spots on the leaves, then such spinach should also be removed. You can put the leaves in cold water and then bring it to a boil, or directly into a boiling liquid. There will be no difference in taste, but the water temperature will affect the total cooking time of the ingredient.
Spinach cooking process:
- rinse and sort spinach;
- add water and bring to a boil;
- drain the water;
- rinse spinach with cold water;
- Drain the spinach in a colander.
Spinach leaves can be boiled whole or pre-chopped. This nuance does not affect the cooking time, and the taste properties do not change. If spinach is used to prepare cabbage soup, it is better to put it in the pan a few minutes before it is ready. There is no need to cook the leaves separately.
If the spinach is frozen, you need to defrost it before cooking. This can be done by pouring cold water or waiting for natural thawing at room temperature. If you throw a briquette of frozen spinach into boiling water, its taste will change and the leaves will lose their rich aroma and color.
The nuances of cooking spinach:
- the stems at the base of the spinach leaves must be cut or torn off before cooking;
- You should not cut out the veins from the leaves (during the cooking process they will become soft and will not spoil the consistency of the intended dish);
- Before cooking, it is recommended to soak spinach in cold water for a few minutes;
- Spinach must be filled with water not only completely, but also so that there is a margin of a few centimeters of liquid (at least 3-4 cm);
- if you oversalt spinach, its aroma and taste will be completely lost (if spinach is oversalted, it can be rinsed more thoroughly in water, and less salt can be used in the main dish);
- to prevent spinach from losing the brightness of its leaves, after cooking it can be sprinkled with crushed ice (when the ice melts, the remaining liquid is drained, and the spinach itself is lightly squeezed);
- Spinach must be cooked over high heat, and the cooking time is measured from the moment steam appears.
If spinach is overcooked, a minimal amount of vitamins will remain in it. In addition, the leaves will lose their shape and will be suitable for consumption only as additional ingredients for dishes. As an independent dish, overcooked spinach does not look attractive.
How long to cook spinach
The spinach is cooked for 3-5 minutes. If it was previously frozen, then the cooking time should be increased by 2 minutes. The countdown must begin from the moment the water boils.
In a steamer, cook the spinach for 2 minutes. Before placing in a container, the leaves can be immediately salted or sprinkled with spices. After steaming, spinach retains its shape, so it can be used for stuffing or making rolls.
In a slow cooker or microwave, cook the spinach for 3 minutes. In the first and second cases, the leaves must be filled with hot water. The liquid should be hot, but not boiling water.