Spinach. How to cook kryptonite, and like it.

Spinach used to be one of the few foods that I would NOT, under any circumstances, eat.  When I was a kid I to throw up when I ate it.  In one famous incident, a spinach lasagne supplied by my Aunt Susan sparked a battle of wills between my parents, the spinach, and myself.  In the end the spinach was eaten, cold, several hours after it had been picked from between the edible pasta layers and the end result was a toilet bowl full of green barf.  I'm not sure who won the battle but I won the war; I was never forced to eat spinach again. (I also pulled this card out from my sleeve in order to avoid eating my mother's long-boiled zucchini--always made from garden zucchini the size of a dachshund which, as we all know, is the prefered stage to harvest the most flavorful and firm specimins.  "It maks me feel like I'm going to throw up", I would say, and that would be the end of that argument.)

But Superman, green foods are packed with nutrients! 

Have you tried it in lasagna?

Well, I made peace with zucchini LONG before I gave spinach a try again.  Raw, like salad leaves, I never had a problem with; but cooked, I steared clear of it at every possible opportunity.  The only time I allowed it to pass my lips was in small quantities in quiches where it couldn't really be avoided (or tasted).

Given that it is apparently sooooo good for you and that it is one of only two green leafy vegetables that I can get my hands on in Denmark, I knew I would have to make peace with my old nemecis. 

Behold, two basic recipes for spinach that not only don't make we want to barf, but that I really look forward to eating:

Spinach and lemon juice and/or with walnuts and/or with lentils or beans
This is one of those recipes that I throw together and is different each time.  It's good every time and the only caviat I will give you is to be careful not to overdo the lemon juice.  Here are the basic guidelines:

1. Defrost frozen spinach in the microwave.
2. Add a little bit of lemon juice to cut the strong taste of spinach and add some fresh flavor (not to mention nutrients).  BTW, it's true what they say about fesh lemon juice being better: better tasting, and better for you.

Theoretically you can stop there.  But why!

3.  Add some caramelized onions (it's nice to have these pre-made on standby in the fridge) and/or some sauteed mushrooms (again, pre-made on standby in the fridge). 

4.  Add some chopped walnuts.  They taste great with the spinach/lemon mixture and give nice texture.  Walnuts are extremely nutritios on their own but eating them together with spinach enables you to absorb certain nutrients from the spinach that would probably otherwise just pass on through.  (I think it's the oil in the walnuts that enables absorption of fat soluble vitamins but don't quote me on that.  It's just a guess.) 

and/or

5. Add pre-cooked lentils or beans--I like white beans best.  This adds tons of nutrients and helps turn a side dish of plain spinach into a main dish.  Most recipes for spinach call for either cream, cheese, and/or eggs because spinach flavor is so well complimented by creamy textures and flavors.  Both lentils and beans add a creaminess that is really nice.

This is one of the most filling and satisfying things I have learned how to make since starting this whole food journey.  Because I have the onions, mushrooms, and either lentils or beans pre-cooked and sitting in the fridge most of the time, this is extremely fast to throw together as either a quick meal or as a lunch to take with me.  It tastes fine cold and re-heats in the microwave like a champ. 

 
Here's my greek yogurt bucket to-go (oh the irony) of de-frosted spinach, squeeze of lemon, puy lentils, and walnuts.  This was a day where I was running low on pre-prepared stuff.  I was going to be gone from the house all day, so still had to prepare something to eat on the go that contained enough of the types of foods that would keep me feeling full and energized for a full day of activity.  It did the trick, and tasted great even without the caramelized onions and mushrooms. 

Italian Flavors Spinach (or, for those of you with a mullet: Pizza Flavored Spinach)

This recipe was inspired by a photo I saw on Pinterest.  I saw the photos and re-pinned it but have not actually ever looked at the recipe. 

Here was the inspiration from Pinterest.  It was called Italian Spinach:

Link to actual recipe here, not that I've looked at it yet. (Uptade, I looked at it.  I think my recipe sounds tastier. Plus, who has dry vermouth laying around?)

Here's what I threw together (this made a huge batch that I could not eat all of, even as a main course for dinner):

4 sundried tomatoes, chopped up
2/3 can of whole tomatoes, gished
200 g frozen spinach, reheated in microwave
2 tablespoons caramelized onions (from my "standby stash")
2 tablespoons sauteed mushrooms (from my "standby stash")
a bit of black pepper ?? (Can't actually remember if I used that or not but it seems like it would be a good idea even if I didn't.)
60 grams of those gigantic white-beans (again, from my "standby stash")  I think these oversized white-beans looked striking in this dish but I am sure that any of the more common, normal sized white-beans would taste just as good.

Those amounts are very aproxamate.  The only one I can remember for sure was that I used four sundried tomatoes.  I am sure the dish will taste just as good with more or less of any of these ingredients.

1. Defrost the spinach in the microwave.

2. Meanwhile, add everything except the beans (and spinach) to a pan and get things bubbling a little.  Since the onions and mushrooms are already pre-cooked you don't have to get anything browned, just warm it through.

3. Add the spinach and beans and mix everything around.  Keep it on the heat just long enough to get the beans warmed through too. 

4. Eat.

This was SOOOOOO amazingly delicious.  Like, WAAAAAAY better than I was even anticipating.  My first mouthfull I was like OMG, this tastes like pizza.  In hindsight, I should have thrown in some garlic too and will probably try that next time.  But serisously, this combo needs no improvement. 

P.S.  I nuked the leftovers the next day and they tasted delicious too.     

 Other spinach recipes I want to try:

Sauteed Portobello Mushrooms and Spinach
Link to recipe here. Main flavors are red wine and fresh basil (besides the spinach and mushrooms of course). Drop the parmesan to make it vegan.

 

Garbanzo Beans/Chickpeas and Spinach
Link to recipe here. This photo confuses me because those are not garbanzo beans and the recipe calls for two chopped up red bell peppers and there are no red bits in there. Whatever, the recipe sounds interesting: cloves and bell peppers appear to be the main additional flavors. I think I would use more spinach than what is pictured; more like a 50/50 ratio.

 

Vegan Lasagna Spinach Bites
Again, haven't even looked at the recipe (which is here), but the idea sounds great.  This would be a pretty dish to serve for guests and, if it re-heats well, nice to have in the freezer for emergency snacking.

Spinach Pesto
Link to recipe here. Pesto usually goes on bread or pasta which I am trying to avoid eating too much of but I am pretty sure it can go on other stuff too (Including the quinoa crust pizzas I made and will feature at a later date.) so at some point this might be nice try out.

There you have it folks, I'm a convert.  And if I can do it, you can do it too.  And by 'do it' I mean eat a big ol' bunch of spinach every day (or kale, or any of the other green leafy vegetables if you have access to those).  It's one of the healthiest foods you can eat, and it also happens to be cheep, and easy to have hangin' around in the freezer.  No excuses, get cookin'!