Spinach has unleavened leaves with a barely noticeable bitterness. It's hard to guess that this is one of the healthiest foods on earth. Spinach must be added to your diet in order to eat a balanced diet and receive the necessary substances, vitamins and microelements.
Spinach ranks third in the world in folate content and is one of the top three foods for maintaining vision. In addition, spinach contains vitamin K, which promotes the formation of strong bone tissue. Spinach contains 13 flavonoids that act as antioxidant, anti-aging and anti-cancer substances. Betacarotene and vitamin C prevent the deposition of cholesterol plaques on the walls of blood vessels and protect the brain from age-related changes. The healthiest way to eat spinach is fresh, adding it to salads. But even when stewed with very rapid heat treatment, it does not lose all its beneficial properties.
Important! Spinach is contraindicated for people with kidney disease, as it contains a lot of oxalic acid. It is also not recommended for people with rheumatism or diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.
How to cook
Spinach performs well fresh, but even during heat treatment it does not lose its beneficial properties, and even enhances them. Nutrients from sautéed spinach are better absorbed. The main thing is not to boil the spinach, but to steam it or stew it. In addition, spinach contains a lot of vitamin B6, which when heated is absorbed better and enhances its beneficial properties.
Evgeny Alexandrov, chef of the Pechorin cafe : “There are a lot of options for using spinach in cooking, but I use only two that best convey the taste and benefits of the product to us.
I use it fresh, so spinach retains the maximum amount of nutrients, and I add it to snacks and salads.
The second option is my favorite, it's spinach lightly poached in butter (literally 30 seconds). You can also add a little heavy cream, this will give the dish a very delicate taste. This spinach is an excellent addition to any savory breakfast with eggs; it can be used as a side dish, for example, with salmon fillet.
By the way, another way to use spinach is as an addition to your morning smoothie.”
Babaganush with spinach
Photo: cafe "Pechorin"
Recipe by Evgeny Alexandrov, chef of the cafe-bakery "Pechorin"
- 150 g broccoli
- 1 slice whole grain bread
- 20 g fresh spinach
- 10 ml olive oil
- 5 g fresh mint
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Vegetable stew.
How to love carrots and spinach For babaganoush (100 g per 1 serving) :
- 500 g eggplants
- 5 ml lemon juice
- 15 g tahina paste
- 5 g garlic
- 3 g cumin
- 10 g cilantro
- 5 g mint
- Salt
Step 1: For the babaganoush, grill the whole eggplant until cooked through, about 15 minutes depending on size.
Step 2. Fry the cumin in a frying pan. Chop the cilantro and mint very finely. Separate the eggplant pulp from the skin and mix it in a bowl with all the ingredients.
Step 3: Blanch broccoli for 2 minutes, then cool in ice water.
Step 4. Chop the spinach as desired and chop the mint. Season broccoli, mint and spinach separately with olive oil.
Step 5: Lightly toast the bread on the grill. To serve, place babaganoush on bread and top with broccoli and spinach salad. Garnish with any fresh herbs.
Elixir of Slimness
It’s not for nothing that the French call spinach a whisk for the stomach. Thanks to the abundance of fiber, it “sweeps” all food debris out of the body. In addition, spinach improves intestinal motility. All this allows you to more effectively part with extra pounds. If you are actively losing weight for the summer, a spinach smoothie will make your task easier.
Ingredients:
- spinach – 150 g
- avocado - 1 pc.
- banana - 1 pc.
- filtered water - at your discretion
- grated fresh ginger - 1 tsp.
- honey - to taste
- lemon juice - optional
Peel the avocado and banana, cut into large pieces, and place in a blender bowl. We tear clean spinach with our hands and send it to the vegetables. Pour in a little water and beat all the ingredients until smooth. You can sweeten this cocktail with honey. And lemon juice will add expressive sourness. If the drink turns out to be thick, dilute it with water. Serve the green smoothie in a tall glass, garnished with fresh spinach leaves.
Sauteed spinach and crispy potatoes
Photo: Restaurant “Kokoko” (St. Petersburg)
Recipe by Igor Grishechkin, chef of the restaurant “Kokoko”
- 65 g spinach
- 1 egg
- 15 g hollandaise sauce
- 10 g potato pie (potato chips fried in oil)
- 5 g sorrel
- 5 ml garlic sauce
- 15 ml vegetable broth
- Dill
- Truffle oil
Step 1. Lightly simmer the spinach in vegetable broth with garlic sauce.
Step 2. Place in the center of the plate in the form of a nest.
Step 3. Prepare a classic hollandaise sauce with the addition of truffle oil (100 g butter, 3 yolks, lemon juice, salt and pepper, beat the yolks with lemon juice in a water bath, then add melted butter in a stream, without stopping whisking - ed. .)
Step 4. Place a poached egg into the nest. Brush with warm hollandaise sauce.
Step 5. Place sorrel cut into strips around, decorate the top with potato pie and sprinkle with dill.
Spinach dishes
The popularity of spinach in our country is not as high as in Europe and the USA. But thanks to the fact that the number of fans of healthy eating is growing, more and more people are learning about the amazing properties of this product and are including it in their diet.
Persia is considered the birthplace of spinach. It was from there that he came to Europe, where he immediately became very popular. Europeans, in turn, brought it to America, where it spread just as quickly. Spinach is one of the first green plants to emerge after winter.
It contains a huge number of useful elements: proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals. Spinach leaves contain almost all B vitamins, vitamins , , , phosphorus, zinc, iron, copper, beta-carotenes, magnesium and other elements. In terms of natural protein content, spinach is surpassed only by legumes.
Spinach has the amazing property of retaining vitamins even during heat treatment. Although you need to spend a minimum of time to cook spinach, as a rule, one minute is enough for the leaves to become soft and tender and not lose their vitamin properties.
Spinach quickly saturates the body, removes toxins from it, strengthens the gums and is very useful for children's growing bodies. Spinach consumption among children in the United States increased after the release of the cartoon about the brave sailor Papaya, who became invincible after eating a can of spinach.
Spinach is rich in iodine and lutein, which prevents premature loss of vision.
The only drawback of spinach is its high content of oxalic acid, so it is not recommended for people suffering from kidney disease due to the high amount of potassium.
Due to oxalic acid, it is not recommended to use broth in which spinach leaves were cooked for cooking. Young spinach leaves can be eaten raw, added to salads and used as a side dish. Adult foliage can be boiled, baked and stewed, but in order for the plant to retain as many vitamins as possible, the heat treatment time must be kept to a minimum.
Warm meat salad with spinach and pumpkin
Don't be intimidated by the large number of ingredients in this salad; it's easy to prepare and has an amazing taste that will delight your family.
Ingredients:
- Pork tenderloin – 500-600 gr.
- Peeled pumpkin – 500-600 gr.
- Green beans – 100 gr.
- Sweet onion – 1 pc.
- Spinach – 200 gr.
- Vegetable oil for frying
- Salt - to taste
- Pepper - to taste
- Olive oil for dressing – 4-5 tbsp. l.
- Pomegranate sauce “Narsharab” – 1 tbsp. l.
- Worcestershire sauce - 2 tsp.
- Dijon mustard – 2 tsp.
- Lemon juice – 2 tsp.
- Chili pepper – 1 pc.
Cut the pork tenderloin into medallions and fry on both sides until golden brown, then transfer to a baking dish and place in a preheated oven for 10-15 minutes.
Cut the pumpkin into slices 1–1.5 cm thick, place them on parchment paper on a baking tray, sprinkle them with salt, sprinkle a little vegetable oil, cover with paper on top and place in the oven for 10–15 minutes.
Wash and dry the spinach. Cut the onion into thin half rings. Boil the beans in salted water.
Mix olive oil, pomegranate and Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard, lemon juice. After all the ingredients of the sauce are well mixed, add finely chopped chili peppers to it.
Place spinach leaves on a plate. Cut the pork into small pieces, place them on the spinach, add pumpkin and beans. Season the salad with sauce. It should be served and eaten warm.
Spinach soup
Making spinach soup takes minimal time.
Ingredients:
- Spinach – 250 gr.
- Hot broth – 500 ml.
- Milk – 250 ml.
- Olive oil – 3 tbsp. l.
- Onion – 1 pc.
- Garlic – 1 clove
- Flour – 3 tbsp. l.
- Grated cheese – 100 gr.
- Nutmeg – 1 tbsp. l.
- Salt - to taste
- Pine nuts – a handful
Chop the onion and garlic and place in the bottom of a pan in which the olive oil is heated. Sauté until a golden crust forms. Add spinach, stir thoroughly. Add flour and fry for another minute, stirring to prevent lumps from forming. Pour in broth and milk. After the soup has boiled, cook for 15 minutes. Then beat it with a blender; if the soup turns out to be very thick, add cream or a little more milk.
Let it boil, add grated cheese. The soup is ready, it has a bright green color, it should be served garnished with pine nuts and cream.
Pasta with spinach, green peas and feta
A tasty and colorful dish that doesn’t take much time to prepare.
Ingredients:
- Shell pasta – 250 gr.
- Frozen green peas – 400 gr.
- Feta cheese – 100 gr.
- Spinach – 75 gr.
- Pine nuts – 1 handful
- Fresh basil – 1 small bunch
- Olive oil – 3 tbsp. l.
- Dry chili – 1 pinch
- Salt - to taste
- Greek yogurt – 200-250 gr.
- Garlic – 3 cloves
- Ground black pepper - to taste
Boil the pasta in salted water, remove it from the heat a little before it is completely ready, and drain it in a colander.
Boil the defrosted peas in boiling water and drain in a colander.
Roast pine nuts in a dry frying pan.
Chop the garlic and mix with salt.
To prepare the sauce: mix yogurt with 2 tbsp. l. olive oil and chopped garlic. Add pepper and more salt if needed. Add 2 tbsp to yogurt. l. Green peas and blend in a blender.
Heat 1 tbsp in a frying pan. l. Add olive oil, add spinach and let it soften a little. Sprinkle with chili, add the remaining peas, stir, then put the pasta in the frying pan, mix everything and heat over low heat.
Place the pasta on a plate and garnish with torn basil and chopped feta. Pour in the sauce in portions. Garnish each plate with pine nuts.
Bon appetit!
Spinach is an excellent side dish for meat and fish dishes, as well as a filling for pies and rolls, recipes for which you can find on our website. And don’t forget about spinach juice, which lifts your spirits and gives you energy for the whole day.
Author: Vira (especially for) Copying this article in whole or in part is prohibited.
Ispanahi
Photo: Restaurant “Caucasian Captive”
Recipe by Pavel Pantet, chef of the restaurant “Caucasian Captive”
- 320 g spinach
- 150 g walnuts
- 1 tbsp. l. adzhiki
- 10 g cilantro
- 50 g onion
- 5 g parsley
- 5 g dill
- Salt
- 2 teeth garlic
- 10 g pomegranate seeds
Step 1. Wash the spinach, dry it, and scald it with boiling water.
Step 2. Chop the onion and fry in vegetable oil.
Step 3. Pass the spinach through a meat grinder along with the fried onions.
Step 4. Pass the walnuts through a blender.
Step 5. Add spinach and other ingredients (cilantro, garlic, salt, parsley, dill) to the walnuts. Mix well.
Step 6. Beat the mixture, add adjika and salt, mix. Form identical balls.
Step 7. Place on a plate and garnish with pomegranate seeds.
Spring in a plate
Spinach has a negative calorie content and at the same time, due to its high fiber content, it quickly creates a feeling of fullness. It is also rich in vitamins A, group B, C, E, K, as well as potassium, sodium, phosphorus, iron, calcium, selenium and zinc. What's not the ideal ingredient for a light spring salad?
Ingredients:
- beets - 2 pcs.
- eggs - 2 pcs.
- spinach – 150 g
- sunflower seeds - 1 tbsp. l.
- flaxseed - 1 tsp.
- olive oil - 2 tbsp. l.
- fresh thyme - 4-5 sprigs
- lemon juice - 1 tsp.
- salt - to taste
Boil the eggs hard in advance. Peel the beets and cut them into thin slices using a grater. Sprinkle them with 1 tbsp. l. olive oil, lemon juice, put thyme sprigs on top, leave to marinate for half an hour. The beets will need to be stirred once. Then put it in the oven at 180°C for 15–20 minutes.
Wash the spinach thoroughly, dry it and cover the dish with leaves. Place slices of baked beets and sliced eggs on top. Salt to taste, sprinkle with the remaining olive oil, sprinkle with flax and sunflower seeds. An excellent vitamin salad is ready!
Dumplings with spinach
Photo: Gastromarket “Around the World”
Recipe by Anton Shcheglov, gastronomic chef
For the test:
- 600 g flour
- 200 ml water
- 300 g fresh spinach
- 5 ml vegetable oil
- 10 g salt
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Dumplings, cheese soup and other spinach dishes
For the filling :
- 500 g fresh frozen spinach
- 400 g onions
- 70 ml vegetable oil
- Salt, ground black pepper, garlic to taste
- Vegetable broth (onion, carrot, celery stalk) or just water
Step 1. Extract the juice from fresh spinach using a juicer.
Step 2. Combine water and fresh juice. Combine salt with flour, mix everything (liquid and bulk products), add butter at the end.
Step 3. Before rolling out the dough, let it rest (let it lie at room temperature for about 30 minutes).
Step 4. After this, roll out with a rolling pin, the thickness of the dough is approximately 2-3 mm.
Step 5. Give the rolled out pieces a round shape using a glass or a suitable cutting mold.
Step 6. To prevent the dough from drying out, as you mold the dumplings, you need to cover the cut out shapes with a damp towel (not too damp) so that it is well secured on the sides.
Step 7. Thaw spinach, squeeze out excess moisture.
Step 8. Cut the onion into strips and fry in a frying pan until tender.
Step 9. Next, fry the spinach in a hot frying pan, then reduce the heat and fry for another 5 minutes, add the prepared onion and spices.
Step 10. After this, pour in the broth and simmer until the spinach is soft. A minute before readiness, add finely chopped garlic.
Step 11. Cool the minced meat and make dumplings.
Step 12. Cook the finished dumplings in water with the addition of salt and bay leaves (2-3 pcs.).
Quiche for fish gourmets
To get the full benefits of spinach, it is important to choose it wisely. When you buy it fresh, make sure that there are no limp or yellowed leaves in the bunch. The larger and greener they are, the more nutrients there are. And remember, spinach can be stored in the refrigerator for no longer than 7 days. If you don't plan to eat it during this time, freeze it for later. Or make quiche with red fish.
Ingredients:
Dough:
- flour - 250 g
- butter - 125 g
- egg - 2 pcs.
- ice water - 5 tbsp. l.
- salt - 1 tsp.
Filling:
- lightly salted salmon - 180 g
- asparagus - 7–8 stalks
- spinach – 70 g
- hard cheese - 60 g
- green onions - 3-4 feathers
Fill:
- cream - 150 ml
- sour cream - 1 tbsp. l.
- egg - 3 pcs.
- salt, black pepper, nutmeg - to taste
Sift the flour, add the diced butter, eggs, salt and ice water. Knead the dough, roll it into a ball, put it in the refrigerator for half an hour. Then we compact the dough into a round shape with sides, prick it with a fork and fill it with dry beans. Bake the base at 200°C for about 15–20 minutes.
At this time, remove the skin and hard fragments from the asparagus and chop into pieces. Finely chop the spinach, cut the fish into slices, and grate the cheese. Whisk the filling of eggs, cream and sour cream, season with salt and spices. Evenly place salmon, asparagus and spinach into the browned base, sprinkle everything with grated cheese. Pour the filling on top and put it in the oven again at 180°C for 15 minutes. This pie can be served either hot or cold.
