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What can be the benefit of a leafy vegetable? Colossal, if we are talking about spinach. And although it is essentially a grass, it contains such a storehouse of valuable substances that you will rarely find anywhere. Nutritionists sing his praises and give positive recommendations to the doctor. What is so wonderful about spinach? Why should it be included in the daily diet? What can you cook from it? You will learn about all this from our article.
Spring is in the plate
Spinach has a negative caloric content and at the same time, due to its high fiber content, it quickly creates a feeling of satiety. It is also rich in vitamins A, B, C, E, K, as well as potassium, sodium, phosphorus, iron, calcium, selenium and zinc. What is not an ideal ingredient for a light spring salad?
Ingredients:
- beetroot — 2 pcs.
- eggs — 2 pcs.
- spinach-150 g
- sunflower seeds — 1 tbsp. l.
- flaxseed — 1 tsp.
- olive oil — 2 tbsp.
- fresh thyme — 4-5 sprigs
- lemon juice — 1 tsp.
- salt — to taste
We will cook hard-boiled eggs in advance. We peel the beets and use a curly grater to cut them into thin plates. Sprinkle them with 1 tbsp. l. olive oil, lemon juice, put thyme sprigs on top, leave to marinate for half an hour. Once the beetroot will need to be mixed. Then we send it to the oven at 180 °C for 15-20 minutes.
Spinach is thoroughly washed, dried and covered with leaves of the dish. Spread the slices of baked beetroot and sliced eggs on top. Salt to taste, sprinkle with the remaining olive oil, sprinkle with flax seeds and sunflower seeds. An excellent vitamin salad is ready!
The elixir of harmony
The French do not call spinach a panicle for the stomach for nothing. Thanks to the abundance of fiber, it “sweeps” all food debris from the body. In addition, spinach improves intestinal motility. All this allows you to effectively part with extra pounds. If you are actively losing weight by the summer, a spinach smoothie will make it easier for you.
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, transfer to the bowl of a blender. We tear the pure spinach with our hands and send it to the vegetables. Pour in a little water and whisk all the ingredients until smooth. You can sweeten this cocktail with honey. And lemon juice will give an expressive sourness. If the drink turned out to be thick, dilute it with water. Serve the green smoothie in a tall glass, garnished with fresh spinach leaves.
A vegetarian’s dream
Spinach contains a large amount of iron and quite a lot of vegetable protein. That’s why vegetarians love it. In addition, this leafy vegetable is indispensable for anemia, anemia, exhaustion and increased excitability of the nervous system. So spinach cutlets will benefit many people.
Ingredients:
- zucchini — 2 pcs.
- chickpeas-150 g
- fresh spinach-150 g
- egg — 2 pcs.
- garlic — 1 clove
- ground oat bran-80 g
- salt, black pepper — to taste
- vegetable oil for frying
Pre-soak the chickpeas in water overnight, then fill with fresh water and cook until ready. Half of the chickpeas are whipped with a blender in a puree. We rub the zucchini on a grater, carefully squeeze out the excess liquid. Spinach is washed, dried and finely chopped. We combine it with zucchini, chickpeas and chickpea puree. Add the bran, eggs, garlic passed through the press, salt and pepper, knead the resulting mass well. Heat a frying pan with oil, form cutlets with a spoon and fry until golden brown on both sides. You can serve such cutlets with brown rice, string beans or baked potatoes.
Soup for acute vision
Spinach is a godsend for those who spend a lot of time at the computer. It relieves the tension of the eye muscles and tones them up. The abundance of lutein in spinach leaves prevents the development of retinal degeneration, protects the lens from opacity and other age-related changes. These reasons are quite enough to make a cream soup from spinach.
Ingredients:
- spinach-400 g
- onion-1 pc.
- potatoes-3-4 pcs.
- garlic-2-3 cloves
- water — 400 ml
- cream 10 % – 250 ml
- vegetable oil — 2 tbsp. l.
- parsley — 1 small bunch
- salt, black pepper — to taste
- homemade crackers for serving
Heat the vegetable oil in a saucepan and pass the chopped onion until transparent. Pour out the diced potatoes, fry with onions for 5 minutes, then pour in water and cook on low heat until ready. Meanwhile, we will chop the spinach and parsley. When the potatoes are boiled, pour out all the greens and stand on the fire for another couple of minutes. Then, using an immersion blender, we turn the contents of the pan into a smooth, thick mass. Pour in the warmed cream, add salt and spices. Constantly stirring with a wooden spatula, bring the soup to a boil and let it simmer for another minute. Before serving, put crackers in each plate with cream soup.
Italy in green tones
Spinach is recognized as the most common ingredient in the cuisines of different peoples. His true fans are Italians. On its basis, they prepare a variety of sauces. No salad, bruschetta or lasagna can do without it. The juice of the leaves is colored with pasta or ravioli in a soft green color. And we offer you to try delicious spaghetti with spinach and parmesan.
Ingredients:
- spaghetti — 300 g
- spinach — 100 g
- butter — 100 g
- flour — 4 tbsp. l.
- milk — 500 ml
- yolk — 2 pcs.
- parmesan-100 g
- salt, black pepper — to taste
- nutmeg — on the tip of a knife
In advance, we put the spaghetti to cook in salted water until al dente. While the pasta is cooking, melt the butter in a frying pan and dissolve the flour. Gradually pour in the warm milk, stirring constantly with a spatula. Whisk the yolks with salt and pepper with a whisk, pour into a frying pan. Pour out two-thirds of the grated cheese and chopped spinach. Simmer the sauce on low heat for 2-3 minutes. Now you can add spaghetti — mix them well with the sauce and stand for another minute. Before serving, sprinkle the pasta with grated cheese and decorate with spinach leaves.
Kish for fish gourmets
To get all the benefits of spinach in full, it is important to choose it correctly. When you buy it fresh, make sure that there are no flaccid and yellowed leaves in the bundle. The larger and greener they are, the more useful substances there are. And remember, spinach is stored in the refrigerator for no longer than 7 days. If you are not going to eat it during this time, freeze it for the future. Or prepare a 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 tamp the dough into a round shape with sides, prick it with a fork and fall asleep with dry beans. Bake the base at 200 °C for about 15-20 minutes.
At this time, we peel the asparagus from the skin and hard fragments, chop it into pieces. Finely chop the spinach, cut the fish into slices, grind the cheese on a grater. Whisk the filling of eggs, cream and sour cream with a whisk, season with salt and spices. Spread salmon, asparagus and spinach evenly into the browned base, sprinkle everything with grated cheese. Pour the filling on top and put it back in the oven at 180 °C for 15 minutes. This pie can be served both hot and cold.
Pies in two counts
Spinach is extremely useful for children. After all, it contains a lot of vitamin K, which is involved in the formation of bones. You can make children addicted to this product with the help of pies. And if the child is stubborn, show him a cartoon about Popeye the sailor. Eating spinach on both cheeks, he turned into an indestructible strongman.
Ingredients:
- puff pastry without yeast – 500 g
- suluguni — 200 g
- spinach — 250 g
- egg — 2 pcs. + egg yolk for greasing
- milk — 2 tbsp. l.
- peeled pumpkin seeds for decoration
- salt — to taste
Finely chop the spinach and blanch it in boiling water for just a minute. We throw it into a colander and dry it well. We grind the cheese on a grater, beat it with eggs, salt to taste. Add the spinach here, mix well.
We roll out the dough into a thin layer, cut it into identical squares. Put a little filling in the center of each square, connect the two opposite edges together, lubricate the dough with a mixture of yolk and milk, sprinkle with seeds. We spread the puffs on a baking sheet with parchment paper and put them in the oven at 180 °C for half an hour. Such pies can easily be given to a child with them to school.
Spinach has another valuable quality. This is a universal product that is combined with any other ingredients. Therefore, you can cook anything from it, starting with salads and soups, ending with homemade cakes and drinks. Read more recipes with spinach on our website. Do you like spinach? What do you cook from it most often? Share your signature dishes in the comments.