Ok, so you grew up with canned spinach and don’t like spinach. Well, now that you are an adult, it may be a good time try spinach again. Your taste buds have matured and spinach is available in a number of forms. Canned is no longer your only option.
You may be wondering how I got on this spinach kick after all I the fattening stuff I write about. Would you believe I was looking for something a little redeeming? Ok, you are not buying that. Here is the truth. A colleague of mine has an abundance of spinach. She is up to her eyeballs in spinach and needed a few suggestions for spinach. So I thought why not blog about spinach. Maybe give a few ideas for using and preserving spinach for those of you lucky enough to have an abundant supply.
Spinach Ideas.
1. Spinach wrap – Use larger leaves as a wrap, the same as you would for lettuce. You can wrap a vegetable or meat based salads.
2. Make a frittata – For each person, use 2 eggs, 2 ounces cheese, seasonings (garlic, onion, salt and pepper) to taste, 1 cup firmly packed spinach.
3. Spinach pesto – Use spinach instead of basil to make pesto. Use with spaghetti or lasagna.
4. Stuffed chicken breast – Combine spinach with cheese such as ricotta, parmesan, goat and stuff inside a chicken breast and bake.
5. Salad on-the-go – Toss spinach leaves with your other favorite salad ingredients. Add your favorite dressing and put inside a pita.
6. Twice baked potatoes – Add sautéed spinach to baked potatoes.
7. Spinach fruit salad – Spinach pairs nicely with a variety of fruits, like, strawberries and mandarin oranges.
8. Sautéed spinach – Sauté spinach with garlic and olive oil.
9. Creamed spinach – This is an old favorite.
10. Toss spinach into a stir-fry.
Thai Inspired Spinach Wrap
Ingredients:
2 celery ribs, cut into small dice
2 medium green onions, thinly sliced
¼ cup chopped peanuts
Juice of one lime
2 Tablespoons Asian fish sauce
1 Tablespoon grated fresh ginger, squeeze to remove juice
2 teaspoons sugar
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 Tablespoons minced fresh cilantro leaves
2 Tablespoons chopped fresh mint leaves
Large spinach leaves
Directions:
1. In a medium bowl, mix chicken, celery, green onions and peanuts. In a small bowl, whisk lime juice, fish sauce, ginger liquid, sugar, red pepper, cilantro and mint.
2. Toss dressing with chicken mixture. Allow individuals to place desired amount of salad in a spinach leaf. Roll. If making ahead of time, hold together with a toothpick.
Fruits and Vegetables – More Matter - http://www.fruitsandveggiesmatter.gov/month/spinach.html
University of Nebraska Lincoln – Extension - http://food.unl.edu/web/preservation/freezingNational Center for Home Food Preservation - http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/how/freeze/greens.html
