Dark green spinach leaves can be cooked even in winter. They are low in calories but high in nutrition. Spinach is so versatile that it can be added to almost any dish. It can be eaten raw or cooked, as a side dish and main dishes. Stir-fried spinach can be seasoned with oil and seasonings.

Spinach cleaning and selection

The quality of the food depends on right choice and preparation of the main ingredient.

• For cooking, take crisp, bright green leaves without dark spots and yellowing. You can buy greens in bunches. It is stored in a dry plastic bag in the refrigerator for no more than 3 days.
• The stems are sorted out. The thick, fibrous leaves are best for cooking.
• To clean the spinach well, leave it for a minute in a container with cold water. Transfer the leaves to a colander and let the water drain.

Soups

Spinach not only cooks quickly, but also adds color, nutrients and aroma of soups. A simple tomato soup becomes Florentine with spinach. Leaves can be the basis of a dish. Simmer onions and garlic in a saucepan, then add potatoes, a bunch of fresh or frozen spinach, and vegetable broth. Simmer until potatoes and spinach are tender. Add fresh cilantro, parsley or mint herbs. The soup takes only 15 minutes to prepare, and the house is filled with fragrant spices.

Pesto

Spinach is combined with basil to make pesto. Take 3 cups of spinach, 1 cup of basil and ¼ cup of fresh mint for brightness and flavor. The leaves are seasoned with garlic, walnuts, lemon juice, grated Parmesan and olive oil. Beat the composition in a combine until a homogeneous consistency. After cooking pasta, leave a cup of starchy water. After frying broccoli and cherry tomatoes in garlic oil, they are supplemented with sauce and water after boiling spaghetti. The sauce itself will thicken as it cooks. Serve the pasta with a pesto garnish, garnished with fresh parsley. This sauce can be stored in the refrigerator for up to a week and used on sandwiches, toast, or pizza sauce.

fried leaves

Roasting spinach on the stovetop is a quick and easy way to cook. The recipe is quite simple, you just need to fry the leaves with garlic in olive oil and sprinkle with a little lemon juice. A more refined recipe is cooking greens in tomato sauce when spinach is complemented with flavors of cumin, cinnamon, chili, garlic and ginger. First, fry a little chopped garlic in olive oil, throw in spinach and bring to a wilt. Season the salad with tamari sauce and sesame seeds.

leaf breakfast

Spinach may be a favorite topping for omelettes. They are prepared on the basis of mushrooms, onions and sweet peppers, and spinach and cheese are thrown in the last minutes. A good breakfast idea would be to make a frittata (omelet in the oven). The dish can have any toppings that are on hand: chopped spinach, artichoke and mozzarella.

green pastries

Did you know that spinach can be used in baking? Mashed greens (1 cup) are added to pies and cakes for nutrition. Cooks even bake salted baked goods, which are decorated with leaves. Such biscuits complement any sauce.

Pakoras and fritters

For supporters of healthy food, vegetable pakoras are suitable. Spinach leaves are dipped in a dough made from rice (chickpea) flour and spices, then fried until crispy. Another way to enjoy fried spinach is to make pancakes. Mashed potatoes are mixed with onion, spinach, garlic and flour and then fried. Crispy fritters are dipped in cucumber tzatziki sauce.

combination with test

Spinach is a great accompaniment to pasta dishes. The bright green color aesthetically decorates any pasty dish and increases its nutritional value. For example, mozzarella, spinach leaves and artichoke hearts will look quite impressive in lasagna. Greens are also used to stuff ravioli and cannelloni.

Indian palak

Spinach, or palak, is a popular ingredient in Indian dishes. Seasoned with cumin, ginger, chili and tomatoes, saag is the perfect addition to any Indian celebration. To prepare it, take chopped spinach, peeled tomato, chili pepper, 1/4 tbsp. peanut butter, onion, garlic, 1 tsp. spice garam masala. Saute chili, onion and garlic in oil in a pan. Then put the tomato and cook for another 2 minutes. After putting the spinach and salt, cover the pan with a lid and simmer for 25 minutes. At the end, the saag is seasoned with spices.

There are many recipes that use spinach greens. Whoever starts adding it to some of their meals continues to use it everywhere.

Spinach is a plant that is the vitamin king among vegetables. In a season when the body is especially lacking in vitamins, this product is simply not replaceable. Spinach contains vitamins: C, E, B, A, PP. As well as a large number of useful minerals such as calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, potassium, zinc, iron, iodine and many others.

Such a variety of nutrients saturates the body with vitamins and energy. The use of spinach helps to strengthen the immune system, normalizes metabolic processes, cleanses the body of toxins and toxins, increases hemoglobin, and has a positive effect on blood vessels.

The benefits of spinach are known all over the world, and therefore they are widely used in cooking. The number and variety of recipes for fresh spinach dishes is huge. It can be added to salads, appetizers, soups, all kinds of casseroles, pies and meat dishes.

It is also useful to use spinach simply in fresh or make great fortified smoothies out of it.

Salad with spinach and sorrel

Ingredients	Quantity
Fresh spinach -	1 bunch (small)
Sorrel -	half a small bundle
parsley leaves -	1 bunch
Onions (greens) -	1 bunch
Chicken eggs -	2 pcs.
Olives -	7-10 pcs.
Any vegetable oil	2.5 st. spoons
apple cider vinegar -	half a tablespoon
Salt -	optional
Cooking time: 25 minutes	Calories per 100 grams: 50 kcal

Cooking:

1. Pre-boil and cool the eggs;
2. Rinse all greens well and dry a little;
3. Then finely chop the greens, mix and season with oil and vinegar, add salt if desired;
4. Top with sliced ​​eggs and olives. Salad ready.

Cottage cheese and spinach snack

• Fresh spinach - 200 g;
• Dill greens - 1 small bunch;
• Fat cottage cheese (preferably homemade) - 200-250 g;
• Yogurt (not sweet) - 50 g. Instead of yogurt, you can use kefir or sourdough;
• Garlic - 2 cloves;
• Salt - to taste.

Cooking:

1. 1. Wash spinach and dill thoroughly and pat dry. Then kill with a blender;

1. 1. Mash the cottage cheese well, add the green mixture, garlic squeezed through the press, yogurt and salt;

1. 1. Then blend all the ingredients in a blender. The snack is ready.

This dish can be eaten on its own, or you can make sandwiches. To do this, you need to spread bread with snack paste, put a piece of ham, red fish or just a piece of cucumber on top. Such a useful and simple masterpiece will delight your guests and become a favorite among your household.

Italian spaghetti with mushroom and spinach sauce

Required Ingredients:

• Spaghetti or pasta - 300 g;
• Fresh spinach - 400 g;
• Hard cheese - 120 g;
• Cream 20% - 150 ml;
• Mushrooms (champignons or oyster mushrooms) - 350 g;
• Onion - 1 pc. (medium);
• Butter - 40-50 g;
• Spices - add to taste.

Cooking:

1. Wash mushrooms, cut and send to a frying pan with preheated butter;
2. Peel the onion, thinly cut into half rings and place on the mushrooms;
3. When the mushrooms and onions are browned, add the washed and finely chopped spinach to the pan. Steam spinach for 3-4 minutes until it changes color and becomes soft;
4. Next, pour the cream into the pan and mix all the ingredients;
5. Add spices;
6. Then cut the cheese into small pieces, send to the resulting mixture, cover with a lid, remove from heat and leave for 5-7 minutes to infuse the sauce;
7. Spread the finished sauce on top of the boiled spaghetti. Before serving, decorate the dish with your favorite herbs.

This Italian dish will delight you and your loved ones with its spicy taste. And it only takes 25 minutes to prepare.

Snack roll of lavash, spinach and red fish

Cooking Ingredients:

• Pita;
• Spinach - 1 bunch;
• Red fish (salmon, pink salmon, tuna) - 350g;
• Beans (canned) - 1 can (400 g);
• Lemon juice - 2 tbsp. spoons;
• Bulb onion (blue) - 1 pc;
• Bulgarian pepper (yellow or red) - 2 pcs;
• Medium carrot - 1 pc;
• Hard cheese - 150-170 g;
• Olive oil - 2 tbsp. spoons;
• Salt - optional;
• Lettuce leaves - 4-5 pcs.

Cooking:

1. Mash the beans with a fork or beat with a blender, with the addition of lemon juice and oil. Salt;
2. Chop the onion as small as possible;
3. Bulgarian pepper cut into thin strips;
4. Grate carrots and hard cheese on a medium grater;
5. Cut the fish into thin oblong slices;
6. Wash and dry spinach;
7. Put all the ingredients on pita bread in thin layers in the following sequence: beans, spinach leaves, fish, onions, bell pepper, carrots and cheese;
8. Then roll the pita bread into a neat roll and let it soak for 20-25 minutes. Next, cut the pita bread into small rolls and place on a plate garnished with lettuce.

The dish looks very elegant and elegant. Such a snack will decorate any holiday, and is also ideal for a picnic.

Delicate chicken liver and spinach salad

• Chicken or turkey liver - 300 g;
• Chicken eggs - 3 pcs;
• Tomatoes (preferably cherry) - 4-5 pcs;
• Fresh spinach - 1 small bunch;
• Lettuce leaves - 4-5 pieces;
• Soy sauce (classic, mushroom) - 3 tbsp. spoons;
• Garlic - 3 small cloves;
• Onion - 1 pc. (small);
• Any vegetable oil - 3 tbsp. spoons;
• Butter - 40 g;
• Balsamic cream - to taste.

Cooking:

1. Wash spinach and lettuce leaves and dry slightly;
2. Prepare the liver: wash and cut into small portions;
3. Finely chop the onion, chop the garlic;
4. Place olive oil and butter in a frying pan and heat. Put the garlic and onion, simmer over low heat for 3 minutes and remove them from the pan. Then add the liver to the spicy oil, soy sauce and cook for 7-8 minutes;
5. Prepare poached eggs. To do this, you need to take a saucepan, pour about 0.5 liters of water into it, put on fire until it boils. Crack the fresh egg into the bowl carefully so as not to touch the yolk. As soon as the water boils, add half a teaspoon of ordinary vinegar to it and make the fire quieter. Next, with a spoon or spatula, scroll the water in the saucepan so that a semblance of a funnel forms, and pour in the egg. After 4 minutes, the poached egg can be removed from boiling water;
6. Tear lettuce and spinach into large pieces and arrange on a large plate. Lay the cooked liver on top of the greens, pouring over it with the gravy in which it was cooked;
7. Put poached eggs and cherry tomatoes on the liver;
8. For a final finish, add balsamic cream to taste.

This nutritious and healthy warm salad will diversify your diet and will decorate any holiday table.

Delicious and healthy spinach smoothie

Ingredients:

• Spinach - a small bunch;
• Juice of one orange;
• Ripe banana - 1 pc;
• Pear - 1 pc;
• Mint - 2-3 leaves for decoration.

Cooking:

1. Blend spinach and orange juice well in a blender until smooth;
2. Then add chopped pear and banana. Again, kill everything with a blender;
3. Garnish with mint leaves when serving.

It should be said that spinach does not lose its properties during heat treatment and freezing. Therefore, it is equally useful in any form. Bon Appetit!

Spinach is called the king of vegetables - because of its usefulness and ability to enrich even the most flavors.

Both frozen and fresh herbs looks great in tarte fillings, ravioli, and the creamy sauce is just the perfect addition to traditional pasta.

So, today on our table is frozen spinach and a recipe for stewed greens with cream with step by step photos.

And immediately good news: I just love the easy, nutritious meals that you can build from everything that is in the refrigerator.

Our pasta in a creamy spinach sauce will be just that.

Frozen spinach - recipe for a side dish

Let's start with the ingredients:

1. 1 package frozen spinach (400 g)
2. 3 small onions
3. 200 g cream of any fat content
4. 30 g butter
5. 250 g pasta (enough for a full meal for three people)
6. Salt, pepper, nutmeg to taste

Step 1:

Step 1. Cooking the necessary ingredients

Spinach is not specifically defrosted. Just put it on a plate and do other components.

Step 2:

Step 2. We are waiting for the onion to become translucent and acquire a pleasant creamy aroma.

Melt the butter in a frying pan. Chop the onion in half rings and fry until golden.

Step 3:

Step 3: Cook Spinach Until It's Soft

We also send pieces of spinach there. Cover with a lid and simmer for 10 minutes.

Step 4:

Step 4. Add the cream last

Pour in the cream in a thin stream. Let's simmer a little.

Salt, pepper, add spices. I chose nutmeg, but basil, dill, fennel, parsley and citrus zest go great with spinach greens.

As an additional dressing, to make the taste more sour, you can use a couple of tablespoons of lime or lemon juice.

Step 5:

After another five minutes, turn off the finished dish. This is what cooked spinach looks like. cream sauce:

Step 5. Appetizing and healthy spinach is almost ready.

Step 6:

Step 6. Mix the finished sauce with boiled pasta

Now it remains to put the pasta on a plate and decorate the dish beautifully, because food should bring not only our taste buds to ecstasy, but also bring up aesthetic beauty.

If desired, you can diversify the serving of soft cream cheese with balls - it will give a few more flavors.

Tip: If you don't want the pasta to deposit on the sides, choose only a product made from durum wheat. This pasta is cooked for ten or more minutes. The bigger, the better.

Bon Appetit! And traditionally a few words about why spinach is so cool and why it needs to be eaten in large quantities at any time of the year.

Spinach is deservedly considered the king among vegetables.

5+ health benefits of spinach

1. It has four times the recommended amount of vitamin K (and you will also find vitamins A and C, calcium, iron, beta-carotene, the list goes on and on)
2. For the ability to cleanse the body and have a good effect on the work of the digestive tract, the French called him a "broom for the stomach"
3. Imagine, despite 20 calories per 100 grams, it is nutritious, stimulates satiety and fights cholesterol.
4. Prevents the formation of cancer cells
5. Most greens are grown in China, and in the USA they even make cartoons about him and erect monuments - the pirate Popeye, having eaten spinach, literally acquired heroic strength
6. 90% water and ideal for vitamin vegetable smoothies
7. Persia is considered the birthplace of the vegetable (from Persian the word "spinach" literally translates as " green hand»)

Spinach is literally made for smoothies

Frozen spinach - 5+ recipes with photos

pkhali

Those who have been to Georgia know that pkhali, light with spices, is prepared there literally from everything.

Cabbage, eggplant, nettle, grape leaves, broccoli, are used.

Thanks to proper processing, almost all useful substances are preserved in the dish, and a small list of ingredients makes it also cheap.

You can put on pkhali and frozen spinach.

pkhali

For the recipe, we take:

1. 500 g frozen vegetable
2. 50 g walnuts
3. 2 garlic cloves
4. Half a teaspoon of wine vinegar
5. Dry adjika on the tip of a knife
6. Two stalks of green onions
7. Half a bunch of basil, dill and cilantro
8. A piece of chili pepper for spicy lovers

Cook spinach for five minutes in salted water, discard in a colander, let drain and squeeze.

Finely chop greens and garlic.

Grind walnuts in a blender or crush with a rolling pin.

We combine the ingredients in a deep bowl, season with adjika and vinegar, salt.

Tip: By the way, in ancient times, spinach juice was used as ink. So any dish you add it to will automatically acquire a green tint.

French tart with cheese and spinach

Spinach is native to Persia. This vegetable came to Europe in the era of the gloomy Middle Ages. First - as a mild laxative, and then found that this nondescript herb is quite satisfying.

Beneficial features

B, B vitamins, vitamins C, P, PP, D2. Spinach is rich mineral salts in particular iron compounds. Po is second only to green peas, young bean pods and meat. It is a champion in the content of iodine, 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 to 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, and older, rough leaves are steamed, fried and stewed. There are also winter and summer spinach: winter leaves are darker. 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 bubbled light green leaves) and Gaudri (a rosette of smooth leaves).

In supermarkets, spinach is sold packaged, washed and prepared for consumption. When buying spinach in the market or by weight, 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 up to two days. Rinse it before use 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 culinary experts appreciate it is its persistent emerald color, which is not afraid of any heat treatment.

It is noteworthy that when boiling spinach, no liquid is added to the pan! Before cooking fresh spinach, it is washed, cut and placed in a saucepan with a lid without water. Keep on fire for several minutes, turning over several times. Then the released moisture is drained and squeezed through a sieve.

Spinach pairs well with bacon, nutmeg, cream, cheese, pine nuts, tomatoes, and chickpeas.

Several unconventional recipes

Credits

Cabbage rolls in spinach leaves

Ingredients:

750 g ground beef

40-50 pcs. large spinach leaves

2 bunches of green onions

1 bulb

50 g butter

juice of 1 lemon

2.5 tablespoon flour

5 tablespoons sour cream

Dill greens, salt and pepper - to taste

Vegetable oil for frying

Dip the spinach leaves in boiling water for a few seconds.

Prepare the filling. Fry in a deep frying pan chopped onion until golden. Add the mince to the pan and cook for about 5 more minutes. Then add the rice and continue frying for another 5-7 minutes.

Wrap minced meat in spinach leaves. Fold the resulting cabbage rolls in a pan in rows, sprinkle with finely chopped onions and dill, pour warm water to the level of the penultimate row of cabbage rolls, pepper, salt and simmer. When the rice is almost ready, add the 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 garlic cloves (if you like)

Salt, pepper - to taste

Rinse the spinach leaves under running water, drain in a colander, pour boiling water over and squeeze out excess liquid. Do this with a knife until a greenish juice begins to stand out. Grind the spinach until almost smooth.

Heat the cream in a deep frying pan over low heat, add the butter, salt, pepper, sugar, lemon juice and mix thoroughly. Then start slowly adding the spinach mass to the sauce, stirring constantly. When the sauce boils, remove from heat.

This sauce is good for any fish and seafood.

FOR ALMOST A HUNDRED YEARS, THE AMERICAN CARTOON PAPAY THE SAILOR, GOING TO DEAL WITH FEATURES, LIKELY EATS A CAN OF CANNED SPINACH. FOLLOWING THE EXAMPLE OF THE FAVORITE HERO, AMERICAN CHILDREN HAVE PLEASURE SPINCH AND ARE SURE THAT HE WILL HELP THEM GROW STRONG AND HEALTHY. AND THEY ARE NOT WRONG! AND KNOWHOW TO COOK SPINACH!

Spinach greens contain a large amount of folic acid, calcium, vitamins P, K. It also contains a lot of useful trace elements, especially iron, so spinach is really the most "iron" of all vegetables.

Spinach soups and omelettes are very popular in the US. In general, this leafy vegetable is favored in many countries of the world, but in France it is especially indifferent to it. They mostly make salads out of it. Classic combination: spinach, strawberries and walnuts. Previously, by the way, the French used the vegetable for other purposes. Its juice was added to various creams, ice cream butter, sauces to color them in a juicy green color.

When choosing spinach in a store or market, remember that large dark green leaves are suitable for frying and stewing, while lighter and smaller ones are good for salads. Well, frozen spinach goes great in mashed soups. So how do you cook spinach?

DISHES WITH SPINACH (PHOTO)

SPINACH DISH - SPINACH OMELETTE

FOR 4 PERSONS YOU WILL NEED:

500 g spinach, 8 eggs, 300 ml milk, 40 g cheese, 2 tomatoes, a bunch of parsley, vegetable oil, salt, ground black pepper.

Finely chop spinach and parsley. Cut the tomatoes into circles. In a separate bowl, beat eggs with milk with a mixer. Add chopped spinach and parsley, salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a high rimmed pan, pour the mixture into it. Cover and fry the omelet for about 10 minutes over low heat. 2 minutes before readiness, top with tomato slices and sprinkle with grated cheese.

Calorie content of a serving of omelet with spinach 210 kcal

Cooking time for the spinach omelette recipe 20 minutes

Dish complexity omelet with spinach ★ ★

DISHES WITH SPINACH - SPINACH AND GREEN ONION PIE

FOR 6 PERSONS YOU WILL NEED:

500 g of spinach, 300 g of green onions, 500 g of cheese, 500 g of puff pastry, egg, ground black pepper.

Chop the spinach and onion, squeeze out the liquid. Add chopped cheese, stir. Roll out the dough into two layers according to the size of the baking sheet. Put one layer on the bottom of the baking sheet, spread the filling on it, pepper. Put the second layer of dough on top, pinch the edges. Lubricate the pie with a beaten egg and send for 20 minutes in an oven preheated to 180 ° C.

Calorie content of a serving of spinach pie 530 kcal

Cooking time for the spinach pie recipe 1 hour 10 minutes

Dish complexity spinach pie ★ ★

SPINACH DISH - SPINACH SALAD WITH FETA

FOR 2 PERSONS YOU WILL NEED:

a large bunch of spinach, 60 g of feta, a few sprigs of dill, 2 green onion feathers, lemon, 20 g of pine nuts, 1 tbsp. l. olive oil, salt, ground black pepper.

Boil spinach leaves in boiling water for 3-5 minutes. Rinse under cold water and transfer to a bowl. Squeeze juice from half a lemon. Finely chop the dill and onion, chop the feta.

Mix oil, dill, onion, feta, lemon juice, salt, pepper. Sprinkle the spinach with the prepared dressing, mix, put in a salad bowl and garnish with pine nuts.

Calorie content of a serving of spinach salad 60 kcal

Cooking time for spinach salad recipe 20 minutes

Dish complexity spinach salad ★

SPINACH DISHES - LASAGNE WITH SPINACH

FOR 5 PERSONS YOU WILL NEED:

600 g spinach, 250 g prepared dry lasagne sheets, 200 g feta, 200 g parmesan, 3 eggs, a bunch of green onions, vegetable oil, salt, black pepper.

Boil the lasagna sheets, drain the water. Put the spinach in salted boiling water and cook for no more than 3 minutes. Then discard in a colander. Hard boil eggs, peel and chop. In a bowl, combine spinach, chopped onion, crumbled feta, salt, pepper and eggs. Grate Parmesan. Grease a deep dish with butter, put in it alternately sheets of lasagna and spinach mixture, sprinkling with grated parmesan. Bake for 45 minutes in an oven preheated to 180°C.

Calorie portion of lasagna with spinach 330 kcal

Spinach lasagna recipe cooking time 1 hour 50 minutes

Dish complexity lasagna with spinach★ ★ ★

If you want to create unusual dishes in your kitchen, go ahead, and the female GlamLemon will "help" you cookred bean or greek